tihvavy  of  Che  t^^eolo3^cal  ^mimxy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 

PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate  of  the 

Rev.  John  B.  Wledinger 

BX   7327    .J8  W5 
Jones,   Edgar  De  Witt,  1876 
1956. 

The  wisdom  of  God's   f no i ^ 

THE  WISDOM^^^P^ 
GOD'S  FOOLS 

STUDIES  IN  SPIRITUAL  SAGACITY 


BY 


EDGAR  DeWITT  JONES 

Author  of  "  The  Inner  Circle." 


New  York        Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.   Revell  Company 

London         and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York  :  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago  :  17  N.  Wabash  Ave. 
Toronto  :  25  Richmond  St.,  W. 
London  :  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh  :  100  Princes  Street 


Co 

MY  GRANDFATHER 

DAVID  ALLAN  RUMBLE 


CONTENTS 


I. 

The  Wisdom  of  God's  Fools  . 

9 

II. 

The  Soul's  Need  of  Silence  . 

23 

III. 

The  Case  of  Judas  of  Kerioth 

37 

IV. 

The  Ministry  of  Mediation  . 

51 

V. 

Faith  and  Fortitude  . 

67 

VI. 

The  Middle  Estate 

;  83 

VII. 

Praiseworthy  Prodigality  . 

lOI 

VIII. 

Doubts  and  Doubters  . 

117 

IX. 

The  Gift  of  the  Morning  Star  . 

133 

X. 

RlZPAH  OF  THE  MOTHER  HeaRT  . 

147 

XI. 

The  Besetting  Sin  .... 

163 

XII. 

Christ  the  Creed  .      .      .  . 

175 

XIII. 

The  Keeping  of  the  Faith  . 

187 

XIV. 

Christ  and  the  Crowds  . 

199 

XV. 

Good-Bye  to  Glory  .... 

213 

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I 

THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Thou  canst  not  prove  the  Nameless,  O  my  son, 
Nor  canst  thou  prove  the  world  thou  movest  in, 
Thou  canst  not  prove  that  thou  art  body  alone. 
Nor  canst  thou  prove  that  thou  art  spirit  alone, 
Nor  canst  thou  prove  that  thou  art  both  in  one. 
Thou  canst  not  prove  that  thou  art  immortal,  no. 
Nor  yet  that  thou  art  mortal — nay,  my  son, 
Thou  canst  not  prove  that  I,  who  speak  with  thee. 

Am  not  thyself  in  converse  with  thyself ; 
For  nothing  worthy  proving  can  be  proven. 
Nor  yet  disproven:  wherefore  be  thou  wise. 
Cleave  ever  to  the  sunnier  side  of  doubt, 
And  cling  to  faith  beyond  the  forms  of  faith !  " 

Alfred  Tennyson. 


I 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 

"  And  his  servants  came  near,  and  spake  unto  him, 
and  said,  My  father,  if  the  prophet  had  bid  thee  do 
some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou  not  have  done  it? 
How  much  rather  when  he  saith  to  thee,  Wash  and 
be  clean." — //  Kings  5: 17. 

THAT  was  one  of  the  wisest  suggestions 
ever  made  by  a  human  being.    If  it  is 
possible  to  compress  the  quintessence  of 
common  sense  into  a  single  sentence  we  have  it 
here  in  this  advice  of  the  servants  to  their  mas- 
ter, Captain  Naaman. 

Naaman  was  the  miHtary  commander  of  Syria, 
honoured  and  highly  esteemed  by  his  king  and 
country;  but  withal,  Naaman  was  a  leper,  though 
in  his  case  the  disease  was  either  incipient  or  of 
a  light  form.  Yet  even  so,  the  affliction  was  seri- 
ous and  the  outcome  full  of  peril.  Very  likely 
Naaman  had  experimented  with  many  cures,  but 
all  in  vain.  His  family,  his  friends,  and  his  king 
were  gravely  concerned  about  the  matter.  It  hap- 
pened that  a  little  Israelitish  maid,  who  had  been 
taken  captive  by  a  marauding  band,  waited  on 
Naaman's  wife,  and  one  day  she  said  to  her  mis- 
tress :  "  Would  that  my  Lord  were  with  the 
prophet  in  Samaria,  then  would  he  recover  him  of 
9 


10      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  leprosy."  Naturally,  the  remark  of  the  little 
maid  at  once  interested  her  mistress,  and  it  came  to 
pass  that  not  long  after  this  incident  Naaman,  with 
a  great  retinue  of  servants  and  with  much  pomp, 
journeyed  to  Israel's  king  and  thence  to  Elisha, 
the  prophet,  seeking  to  be  healed  of  his  leprosy. 

The  cavalcade  alighted  in  front  of  Elisha's 
house  and  expectantly  awaited  his  appearance. 
But  the  prophet  did  not  even  deign  to  come  out 
and  see  the  great  soldier.  Instead,  Elisha  sent  a 
messenger  to  Naaman  saying:  "Go  and  wash  in 
the  Jordan  seven  times  and  thy  flesh  shall  come 
again  to  thee  and  thy  flesh  shall  become  clean." 
The  commander-in-chief  of  the  Syrian  army  was 
amazed.  Yea,  more,  he  was  shocked.  He  had 
expected  a  demonstration,  he  had  looked  for  the 
prophet  to  come  out  and  with  much  pomp  and 
ceremony  pronounce  a  cure.  As  has  been  finely 
said :  "  Naaman  expected  to  be  treated  as  a  great 
man  who  happened  to  be  a  leper;  Elisha  treated 
him  as  a  leper,  who  happened  to  be  a  great  man." 

"  Bathe  seven  times  in  the  river  Jordan," — 
such  was  the  prophet's  prescription.  Captain 
Naaman  was  angry,  his  pride  was  hurt,  he  believed 
himself  insulted.  As  for  rivers,  why,  his  own 
country  boasted  of  Abanah  and  Pharpar — much 
more  beautiful  streams  than  the  Jordan.  Naaman 
decided  not  to  comply  with  the  prophet's  command, 
and  he  ordered  preparations  for  the  homeward 
journey.    Naaman  was  going  back  to  Syria,  and 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS  11 


alas,  he  was  going  back  still  a  leper.  It  was  at 
this  critical  point  that  the  servants  of  Naaman 
came  near.  They  loved  their  master  and  that 
spoke  well  for  him.  The  servants  said  to  the  dis- 
appointed and  wrathful  captain :  "  My  father, 
[the  affectionate  term  is  very  tender  and  beauti- 
ful]. My  father,  if  the  prophet  had  bid  thee  do 
some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou  not  have  done 
it  ?  How  much  rather  when  he  saith  to  thee.  Wash 
and  be  clean." 

This  advice  of  Naaman's  servants  is  noteworthy 
for  more  than  one  reason.  In  a  wider  sense  than 
the  particular  application  to  the  case  of  Naaman, 
the  remark  contains  a'  philosophy  that  is  pro- 
foundly true.  The  human  race  is  tyrannized  by 
the  so-called  great  things.  \Yt  are  obsessed  by 
contemplation  of  the  great,  the  unusual,  the  out- 
of-the-ordinary,  the  dramatic  and  spectacular; 
whereas,  it  is  the  simple,  the  commonplace,  the 
apparent  trifle,  that  is  oftenest  the  medium  of 
God's  voice  to  us.  Nature  reflects  this  truth. 
Every  day  in  God's  great  out-of-doors,  so  far  as 
the  average  eye  can  see,  is  commonplace.  Noth- 
ing unusual  is  happening,  growth  is  never  clam- 
orous or  rampant.  Flowers  do  not  announce 
their  blooming  by  deafening  explosions,  the  trees 
do  not  leaf  with  orchestra  accompaniment.  Apples 
and  peaches  do  not  advertise  their  ripening  by  the 
ringing  of  bells.  There  is  obedience  to  the  law 
of  God  in  nature,  and  lo,  quietly  the  green  comes 


12     THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


and  goes,  seedtime  and  harvest,  planting  and  reap- 
ing. Life  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  what  we 
wrongfully  term  commonplace  things,  the  round 
of  daily  toil  of  sewing  and  mending,  of  dusting 
and  sweeping,  or  the  daily  grind  in  office  and 
store  and  in  shop  and  on  the  farm — homespun 
ministrations  are  these,  and  yet  Divinity  is  in  and 
among  them  every  one.  Likewise,  growth  in 
graces  of  character  is  quiet,  is  not  puffed  up,  goes 
not  on  dress  parade.  Verily,  there  is  much  wis- 
dom in  the  speech  of  Naaman's  servants. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  Naaman  that  he  heeded 
the  good  advice  of  his  servants.  Proud  man  that 
he  was,  he  bowed  his  stubborn  will  and  obeyed  the 
command  of  Elisha.  He  did  precisely  what  the 
prophet  told  him  to  do;  he  bathed  himself  not 
once  or  twice  or  three  times,  but  seven  times  in 
the  river  Jordan,  and  his  flesh  came  as  the  flesh  of 
a  little  child.  Naaman  became  a  fool  for  God's 
sake  and  the  wisdom  of  God  was  demonstrated 
in  the  cure  which  followed.  What  had  seemed 
Naaman's  wisdom  was  Naaman's  folly,  and  what 
had  seemed  foolishness  in  Naaman's  eyes  was  in 
reality  the  deepest  wisdom. 

The  story  of  Naaman  illustrates  the  wisdom  of 
God's  fools,  which  consists  in  being  willing  to 
take  God  at  His  word.  The  wisdom  of  God  is 
foolishness  to  many.  The  Apostle  Paul,  in  his 
first  epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  amplifies  this  truth. 
In  the  first  chapter,  eighteenth  verse,  he  writes: 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS  IS 


"  For  the  word  of  the  cross  is  to  them  that  perish 
foolishness;  but  unto  us  who  are  saved  it  is  the 
power  of  God."  And  again  in  the  twentieth 
verse:  "  Where  is  the  wise?  where  is  the  scribe? 
where  is  the  disputer  of  this  world  ?  hath  not  God 
made  fooHsh  the  wisdom  of  the  world?  "  And  in 
the  twenty-first  verse :  "  For  seeing  that  in  the 
wisdom  of  God  the  world  through  its  wisdom  knew 
not  God,  it  was  God's  good  pleasure  through  the 
foolishness  of  the  preaching  to  save  them  that  be- 
lieve." And  once  more  in  the  twenty-fifth  verse 
of  the  same  chapter :  "  Because  the  foolishness 
of  God  is  wiser  than  men;  and  the  weakness  of 
God  is  stronger  than  men."  And  to  these  Scrip- 
tures the  Apostle's  words  in  the  same  Epistle, 
second  chapter,  fourteenth  verse,  may  be  added: 
"  Now  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things 
of  the  Spirit  of  God :  for  they  are  foolishness  unto 
him;  and  he  cannot  know  them,  because  they  are 
spiritually  judged." 

Naaman  illustrated  a  common  trait  of  mankind 
when  he  flatly  refused  to  obey  the  prophet's  com- 
mand because  it  displeased  him.  He  was  not  will- 
ing to  take  Elisha  at  his  word,  since  his  word  was 
so  very  different  from  what  he  had  expected.  In 
Naaman's  eyes  the  thing  at  first  appeared  ridicu- 
lous. "  Bathe  seven  times  in  the  river  Jordan." 
It  was  absurd! 

Christianity  has  been  a  stumbling-block  because 
of  its  very  simplicity,  a  stumbling-block  to  the 


14      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


worldly  wise.  The  very  first  steps  of  becoming 
a  Christian — the  so-called  "  first  principles  of 
Christianity,"  are  to  many  as  so  much  foolishness. 
The  matter  of  a  confession  of  faith  by  word  of 
mouth  in  the  belief  of  Jesus  as  the  Son  of  God, 
the  confession  of  faith  and  the  vow  of  consecra- 
tion in  the  ordinance  of  baptism  is  as  foolishness 
to  the  wiseacres  of  the  world.  To  walk  quietly 
down  a  church  aisle  during  the  singing  of  such  a 
hymn  as :  "  How  Firm  a  Foundation,  Ye  Saints 
of  the  Lord,"  and  in  the  presence  of  a  congrega- 
tion made  up  of  people  from  all  walks  of  life, 
make  a  personal  confession  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
as  Lord  and  Saviour,  is  to  some  a  non-essential 
act.  Moreover,  to  the  worldly  wise,  it  has  in  it  a 
compromise  of  dignity,  stubborn  pride  resists  it, 
and  falls  back  upon  the  question  "  Is  it  really 
necessary  after  all  ?  " 

It  is  reported  that  a  great  lady  once  asked  a 
minister :  "  Do  I  have  to  become  a  Christian  the 
same  way  that  my  footman  does  ?  "  "  Precisely 
the  same  way,"  was  the  answer.  "  Then  I  won't 
be  one,"  she  replied.  Alas,  the  wisdom  of  the 
world  that  demands  some  great  thing,  rejects  the 
prophetic  word,  and  disobeys  the  heavenly  vision, 
simply  because  the  task  is  unpleasant  or  the  com- 
mand seems  unreasonable.  God's  fools  are  those 
that  take  Him  at  His  word,  like  Joshua,  of  whom 
it  was  said :  "  He  left  nothing  undone  of  all  the 
Lord  commanded  Moses;  "  like  Samuel,  who,  as  a 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS  15 


lad,  answered  the  voice  of  God,  saying:  "  Speak, 
for  thy  servant  heareth;  "  Hke  Isaiah  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Almighty  exclaiming:  "  Here  am  I, 
send  me;  "  like  the  three  thousand  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  crying  out:  "Brethren,  what  shall  we 
do?"  like  Saul  of  Tarsus  on  the  Damascus  way, 
who,  beholding  a  great  light  and  hearing  the 
Divine  voice,  exclaimed :  "  What  shall  I  do, 
Lord?"  like  the  great  line  of  prophets,  apostles, 
martyrs,  missioners,  reformers — great  souls  who 
became  the  fools  of  God  and  thereby  the  truly 
wise. 

The  wisdom  of  God's  fools  consists  also  in  doing 
with  wholeheartedness  the  ministries  which  at  first 
blush  seem  to  be,  in  the  fooHshness  of  man,  beneath 
his  dignity.  The  great  ethics  that  Christ  taught 
are  in  a  way  simplicity  par  excellence.  The  heart 
of  our  Christian  faith,  so  far  as  conduct  is  con- 
cerned, is  embodied  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
and  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  foolishness  to  the 
wise  of  this  earth.  A  famous  statesman,  now  dead, 
some  twenty-five  years  ago,  affirmed  in  a  speech 
which  was  widely  quoted,  that  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  and  the  Ten  Commandments  had  no  place 
in  politics.  The  opinion  of  the  world,  so  far  as  it 
gives  consideration  at  all  to  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount,  is  that  this  great  teaching  of  Jesus  is  im- 
practicable and  visionary,  the  product  of  the  mind 
of  a  dreamer.  Such  virtues  as  resisting  the  evil, 
suffering  injustice  rather  than  going  to  law,  turning 


16     THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  other  cheek  to  the  smiter,  walking  the  extra 
mile,  what  foohshness  these  are  to  the  worldly 
minded!  With  what  fine  scorn  some  professed 
Christians  regard  such  ministries  as  teaching  a  class 
in  the  Sunday  School  or  leading  a  prayer  meeting 
or  doing  some  necessary  though  humble  work  in  the 
name  of  the  Nazarene,  only  to  discover  after  ex- 
perience in  such  work  the  wisdom,  of  it,  the  glory 
and  grandeur  of  it,  the  Christlikeness  of  such  minis- 
tries. 

A  minister  spoke  to  a  judge  of  his  acquaintance 
— a  lawyer  of  distinction  in  the  State — "  Judge," 
he  said,  "  I  want  you  to  take  a  class  of  boys  in  the 
Sunday  School."  "  It  is  impossible,"  said  the 
judge,  "  I  am  a  busy  man  and  I  can  see  no 
reason  why  I  should  teach  a  class  of  boys  even  if 
I  had  the  time."  "  The  boys  all  respect  you,"  con- 
tinued the  minister,  "  you  are  a  hero  to  many  of 
them,  you  could  interest  them  from  the  first."  But 
the  judge  closed  the  interview  abruptly  by  affirm- 
ing that  he  simply  could  not  think  of  taking  a  class 
of  boys  in  the  Sunday  School.  A  week  later  the 
minister  was  surprised  to  receive  a  call  from  the 
same  judge,  who  began  with  strange  hesitation, — 
"  I  have  called  to  say  that  ...  I  will  try  that  class. 
I  thought  it  all  out  after  you  left.  It  was  pride 
that  made  me  refuse.  I  thought  I  was  too  great  a 
man  to  teach  a  class  of  boys.  I  tell  you,  sir,  I  am 
a  hypocrite,  I  have  tried  to  play  the  distinguished 
gentleman  and  I  have  been  worthless  to  the  King- 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS  17 


dom.  Put  me  to  work.  I  do  not  know  how  to 
teach  little  boys,  I  am  too  ignorant  but  I  am  willing 
to  learn."  At  the  close  of  his  first  year  in  the  Sun- 
day School  that  distinguished  judge  said  to  his 
minister :  "  Teaching  that  class  has  been  the  great- 
est thing  that  ever  happened  to  me.  I  never  had 
any  definition  of  service  before.  I  shall  never  cease 
to  thank  God  for  opening  my  eyes  to  see  myself  as 
I  really  was."  The  judge  had  learned  wisdom  by 
becoming  one  of  God's  fools. 

There  is  the  language  of  wisdom  as  learned  by 
one  who  had  become  a  fool  for  Christ's  sake  in  the 
simple  hymn  of  consecration : 

"  It  may  not  be  on  the  mountain's  height, 

Or  over  the  stormy  sea; 
It  may  not  be  at  the  battle's  front 

My  Lord  will  have  need  of  me. 
But  if  by  a  still  small  voice  He  calls 

To  paths  that  I  do  not  know, 
I'll  answer,  dear  Lord,  with  my  hand  in  Thine, 

I'll  go  where  you  want  me  to  go. 
I'll  go  where  you  want  me  to  go,  dear  Lord, 

Over  mountain  or  plain,  or  sea ; 
I'll  say  what  you  want  me  to  say,  dear  Lord, 

I'll  be  what  you  want  me  to  be." 

God's  word  to  Naaman,  through  the  prophet,  is 
through  Jesus  Christ  to  us,  in  essence,  the  same — 
"  Wash  and  be  clean."  Holiness,  that  is  whole- 
ness of  character,  clean  minds,  pure  hearts,  right- 
eousness— this  is  the  essence  of  Christianity. 
Forms  and  ceremonies  have  their  uses,  but  they 
are  the  shell;  the  kernel  of  our  religion  is  right- 


18      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


eousness,  right  living,  right  thinking,  right  acting. 
The  wisdom  of  the  world  is  sceptical  of  the  value 
attributed  to  righteousness,  and  is  inclined  to  chal- 
lenge the  good  of  it  all.  The  worldly  wise  are  of 
the  opinion  that  brilliance,  cleverness,  money,  place, 
and  power,  can  and  do  accomplish  more  and  ac- 
complish it  more  quickly  than  the  slow  and  quiet 
processes  of  simple  faith  and  good  works.  But 
God's  fool  knows  better,  and  there  is  only  one 
way  to  learn  that  the  foolishness  of  God  is  wiser 
than  men  and  that  is  to  take  Him  at  His  word,  to 
trust  and  obey. 

"  Wash  and  be  clean,"  was  God's  word  to  Naa- 
man.  Naaman's  leprosy  made  him  a  peril  to 
society,  to  his  wife  and  family,  to  his  king  and 
country,  and  bound  up  in  that  cure  of  Naaman's 
leprosy  was  salvation  for  the  society  in  which 
Naaman  moved.  No  man  has  ever  lived  or  died 
to  himself  unless  he  lived  and  died  a  hermit  with 
no  other  human  being  in  sight  or  sound.  God's 
word  today  is  as  it  was  to  Naaman — "  Wash  and 
be  clean  "  in  way  of  thinking,  in  way  of  acting, 
in  attitude  toward  God  and  man ;  and  to  heed  that 
word  means  more  than  the  salvation  of  the  in- 
dividual— it  means  that  every  man  and  woman 
who  becomes  a  fool  of  God  and  so  becomes  wise 
unto  salvation  serves  society,  supplies  society  with 
saving  salt,  thereby  making  it  more  difficult  for 
society  to  go  wrong  and  therefore  easier  for 
society  to  do  right. 


THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS  19 


Would  you  be  God's  fool?  Then  take  God  at 
His  word.  Make  the  high  venture  of  faith. 
Launch  out  into  the  deep.  "  Whatsoever  he  saith 
unto  you,  do  it."  Give  the  cup  of  cold  water.  Go 
the  second  mile.  Suffer  injustice  rather  than  go 
to  law.  Turn  the  other  cheek  to  the  smiter.  Wash 
and  be  clean.  Be  numbered  among  the  fools  of 
the  world  and  accept  for  leader  the  Wisest. 

"  Wash  and  be  clean  !   Proud  soul,  doth  this  offend 
Thy  haughtiness?   But  half-convinced  of  sin, 
The  door  of  mercy  will  not  let  thee  in 
Until  in  meek  humility  thou  bend. 
Say,  foolish  soul,  what  did  thy  prayer  intend, 
Thy  cry :  O,  how  shall  I  salvation  win  ? 
Zeal  would  consume  thee,  had  the  answer  been 
Of  toils  and  tasks  herculean,  without  end. 
But  to  repent,  believe,  and  be  forgiven, — 
A  thing  a  child,  a  simpleton,  might  do ! 
'Twas  no  such  work  as  this  thou  hadst  in  view, 
But  by  thy  powers,  full-strained,  to  merit  heaven. 
Behold,  thy  powers  are  nothing  in  God's  eyes ; 
Thy  ransom  is  the  blood  thou  wouldest  despise." 

GRACIOUS  HEAVENLY  FATHER,  WE  WHO  HAVE 
SO  OFTEN  BEEN  AT  HOME  AMONG  THE  WORLDLY 
WISE,  NOW  SEEK  TO  BE  NUMBERED  WITH  THE 
FOOLS  OF  GOD.  THE  WISDOM  OF  THIS  WORLD  WE 
HAVE  TRIED  AND  FOUND  WANTING.  WE  ENTREAT 
THEE  FOR  THAT  PURE  AND  PEACEABLE  WISDOM 
WHICH  COMETH  DOWN  FROM  ABOVE.  HUMBLY  WE 
BOW  BEFORE  THEE  WILLING  TO  TAKE  THEE  AT  THY 
WORD.    SPEAK,  LORD,  FOR  THY  SERVANT  HEARETH. 


II 

THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE 


"Into  the  woods  my  Master  went, 
Clean  forspent,  forspent; 
Into  the  woods  my  Master  came, 
Forspent  with  love  and  shame. 
But  the  olives  they  were  not  blind  to  Him, 
The  little  grey  leaves  were  kind  to  Him, 
The  thorn-tree  had  a  mind  to  Him, 
When  into  the  woods  He  came. 

"  Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  went, 
And  He  was  well  content; 
Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  came. 
Content  with  death  and  shame. 
When  death  and  shame  would  woo  Him  last, 
From  under  the  trees  they  drew  Him  last; 
'Twas  on  a  tree  they  slew  Him  last, 
When  out  of  the  woods  He  came." 

Sidney  Lanier. 


II 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE 

"  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God." — Psalm  46 :  10. 

LIKE  all  immortal  poems,  the  Psalms  were  not 
written  to  order.  The  authors  did  not  pro- 
duce them  by  first  deciding  that  it  would  be 
a  splendid  performance  to  embalm  Israel's  hopes 
and  fears  in  verse  and  then  with  little  thought 
dashed  them  off  straightway.  The  Psalms  of 
Israel  are  the  irrepressible  songs  of  her  great  sing- 
ers. They  could  not  be  written  until  their  writers 
had  passed  through  certain  experiences;  then  they 
had  to  be  written.  David,  in  the  thirty-ninth 
Psalm,  gives  some  hint  of  their  method  of  writ- 
ing when  he  exclaims :  "  While  I  was  musing  the 
fire  burned."  Quite  naturally,  it  came  about  that 
the  Psalms  are  fraught  with  religious  experi- 
ences, either  personal  or  national.  The  forty-sixth 
Psalm  has  a  background  of  uncommon  interest 
since  it  was  likely  written  in  commemoration  of 
the  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  host  in  the  days 
of  King  Hezekiah.  The  overwhelming  tragedy, 
which  is  recorded  in  II  Kings,  19:35-37,  occurred 
during  the  nighttime,  when  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
smote  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand 
Assyrians,  both  horses  and  riders.  The  famous 
23 


Z4,      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


lines  of  Byron,  in  his  Hebrew  melody,  will  be  re- 
called, especially  the  last  stanza: 

"  And  the  widows  of  Ashur  are  loud  in  their  wail, 
And  the  idols  are  broken  in  the  temples  of  Baal, 
And  the  might  of  the  Gentiles  unsmote  by  the  sword 
Hath  melted  like  snow  in  the  glance  of  the  Lord." 

It  is  this  destruction  of  the  Assyrian  host  by 
the  hand  of  the  Lord  that  is  in  the  Psalmist's  mind. 
In  imagination  he  beholds  the  devastating  power 
of  God  descending  in  awful  destruction  upon 
Israel's  enemy.  He  beholds  the  earth  heaped  and 
strewn  with  debris,  broken  bows,  splintered  spears, 
half-charred  chariots,  the  rigid  bodies  of  men  and 
horses;  and  thus  viewing  the  host  laid  low  forever, 
he  realizes  how  feeble  and  futile  are  the  devices 
of  man  as  compared  with  the  power  of  Almighty 
God.  Indeed,  that  sight  of  wreck  and  ruin  seems 
to  have  a  voice,  the  Almighty  speaks,  and  the 
Psalmist  hears  Him  say :  "  Be  still,  and  know 
that  I  am  God." 

"  Be  still !  "  That  is  the  most  difficult  of  all 
commands  for  us  moderns.  Perhaps  it  never  was 
easy  to  be  still,  but  it  is  particularly  difficult  now. 
Ours  is  a  fussy  age,  a  fast  and  furious  time,  a 
vociferous  period.  All  the  irons  that  we  possess 
are  in  the  fire.  Our  activities  are  manifold. 
There  are  organizations  for  every  day  and  night 
in  the  week  and  half  a  dozen  for  the  Lord's  day. 
A  mad  haste  characterizes  our  daily  life;  speed  is 
at  a  premium.  When  Mr.  G.  Lowes  Dickinson,  the 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE  25 


famous  publicist,  made  his  first  visit  to  America  his 
conclusion  was  that  the  dominant  American  passion 
was  the  desire  for  wealth.  On  his  second  visit  he 
revised  that  judgment  and  decided  that  our  great 
ambition  was  not  for  wealth  so  much  as  for  power. 
On  his  third  visit,  however,  he  decided  that  the 
ruling  passion  of  America  was  for  neither  one  of 
these,  but  the  demand  for  acceleration.  Of  the 
same  tenor  is  the  remark  of  a  noted  American 
architect,  who,  in  a  conversation  with  the  Italian 
historian,  Ferrero,  said:  "My  fellow  country- 
men would  willingly  spend  a  hundred  million  dol- 
lars to  build  a  church  as  beautiful  as  St.  Mark's  in 
Venice.  But  they  would  command  me,  as  a  con- 
dition of  my  undertaking  the  work,  to  finish  it 
within  eighteen  months." 

The  word  "  feverish  "  describes  better  than  any 
other  word  our  modern  life.  Our  home  life  is 
feverish;  our  business  life  is  feverish;  our  social 
life  is  feverish;  even  our  religious  life  is  feverish, 
and  the  average  church  with  its  round  of  rallies 
and  special  meetings  aggravates  rather  than  rests 
its  nerve-worn  members.  Our  days  are  shortened 
by  anxiety,  worry,  and  concern.  We  lack  poise, 
balance,  and  quiet  reserve  power.  "  Be  still !  " 
That  is  a  hard  command  for  us  to  obey.  Rather 
bid  us  to  buy,  to  sell,  to  speak,  to  sing,  to  play. 
Command  us  to  do  anything  but  "  Be  still."  Ask 
of  us  the  reasonable,  not  the  impossible. 

In  a  very  large  way  meditation  is  a  lost  art  with 


26      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


us.  Meditation  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible  in 
the  round  of  hurly-burly  distractions  of  our  way 
of  living.  Many  of  us  do  not  want  to  think;  we 
prefer  to  be  entertained.  We  are  not  given  to 
musing,  but  we  have  a  passion  to  be  amused.  Our 
most  popular  form  of  diversion — the  moving  pic- 
tures— is  not  an  aid  to  meditation.  Such  words 
as  contemplation,  reflection,  and  meditation  are 
not  of  our  vocabulary.  We  dote  on  efficiency. 
The  word  strenuous  is  popular  with  us;  and  if  the 
spirit  of  our  times  has  any  word  of  command  for 
us  it  is  "  Speed  up!  " 

"  Be  still !  "  There  is  a  ministry  in  silence.  Not 
silence  for  silence's  sake,  to  be  sure,  for  that 
might  denote  the  quintessence  of  selfishness.  Some 
of  us  would  like  to  be  silent  that  we  might  be  the 
noisier  by-and-bye.  Silence  with  some  would 
be  welcomed  merely  as  a  shock-absorber.  I  recall 
reading  some  years  ago  the  story  of  a  business 
man  who  was  worn  to  the  point  of  collapse  by  a 
heavy  round  of  official  responsibility.  One  day 
he  happened  to  be  in  the  office  of  a  physician 
where  there  was  an  odd-looking  machine.  The 
physician  pointed  to  it  and  explained :  "  That 
machine  can  make  you  deaf.  If  you  would  like 
to  have  your  hearing  deadened  all  you  will  need 
to  do  is  to  sit  down  in  this  chair,  look  steadily  at 
that  disc,  and  in  five  minutes  you  will  be  deaf  to 
all  ordinary  noises.  This  same  machine  can  re- 
store your  hearing  whenever  you  wish  it.  Would 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE  27 


you  like  to  try  the  experiment  ?  "  For  answer  the 
weary  business  man  sat  down  in  the  chair  and 
directed  the  physician  to  set  the  machine  going. 
Immediately  the  disc  began  to  revolve  rapidly, 
producing  a  peculiar  purring  kind  of  sound  not 
at  all  unpleasant  to  the  ear.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  man  in  the  chair,  who  was  intently  watching 
the  disc,  could  distinguish  no  sound  at  all.  The 
experiment  over,  the  physician  reminded  his 
patient  to  return  when  he  desired  his  hearing  re- 
stored. The  man  went  out  on  the  street  where  a 
hush  had  fallen  over  all.  He  heard  neither  the 
noise  of  traffic  nor  the  cries  of  the  newsboys,  but 
picked  his  way  through  the  crowded  streets  now 
gratefully  silent  for  him.  Everywhere  he  went 
sweet  silence  reigned  soothing  and  resting  his 
worn  nerves;  and  the  outcome  of  the  story  was 
that  the  tired  business  man  refused  to  permit  the 
doctor  to  restore  his  hearing,  preferring  deafness 
and  silence  to  the  clamour  and  din  of  the  world. 
I  recall  that  at  the  time  I  read  the  incident  I 
thought  the  cure  a  selfish  one;  but  silence  for  the 
sake  of  silence  is  not  that  which  the  Psalmist  has 
in  mind.  Instead  he  commands  silence  for  a  more 
spiritual  purpose.  The  word  of  the  Psalmist  is 
not  simply:  "  Be  still!  "  but  "  Be  still,  and  know 
that  I  am  God."  The  ministry  of  silence  is  that 
of  being  still  that  we  may  come  to  know  God. 

There  is  only  one  way  that  we  can  know  God 
and  that  is  spiritually.    In  Jesus'  conversation 


28      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


with  the  woman  of  Samaria  He  declared  that 
"  God  is  a  spirit,  and  they  that  worship  Him  must 
worship  Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  We  know 
one  another  in  our  human  relationships  by  the 
physical  senses,  by  joining  hand  to  hand,  eye  look- 
ing into  eye,  or  as  words  passed  from  mouth  to 
ear.  But  God  can  neither  be  seen,  nor  heard,  nor 
touched,  as  we  see,  know,  and  touch  one  another. 
He  can  be  approached  only  spiritually;  He  can 
be  apprehended  only  as  our  spirit  experiences  con- 
tact with  His  spirit.  And  this  approach  to  God 
is  not  accidental,  but  a  matter  of  thought  and 
power  of  the  will  and  fixed  habits  of  life.  Our 
minds  will  have  to  be  staid  on  Him  if  we  are  to 
be  kept  in  perfect  peace;  we  shall  have  to  be  still 
to  know  that  He  is  God.  Jesus  gave  wise  counsel 
when,  in  His  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  He  said: 
"  Thou,  when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet." 

It  is  this  closet  experience  that  we  are  needing. 
We  must  be  alone  with  God  and  most  of  us  sel- 
dom are.  Herein  is  where  we  fail.  We  make 
little  or  no  provision  for  increasing  our  knowledge 
of  God  by  deliberately  choosing  to  be  with  Him 
and  with  Him  alone.  The  "  skeleton  in  the  closet  " 
of  many  nominal  Christians  is  the  ghost  of  prayer 
habits  once  formed  but  now  broken  and  aban- 
doned. All  the  great  souls  who  have  known  God 
have  come  to  know  Him  by  this  manner  of  ap- 
proach. The  biographies  of  the  great  preachers, 
missionaries,  every  devout  Christian,  all  bear  wit- 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE  29 


ness  to  the  potency  of  prayer.  The  lives  of  the 
outstanding  characters  in  the  Holy  Scriptures 
bear  eloquent  testimony  to  the  same  source  of 
power.  The  secret  of  their  strength  is  found  in 
those  closet  experiences  where,  alone  with  God, 
they  came  to  know  Him  and  His  purposes  for 
them;  and  their  lives  became  channels  through 
which  His  spirit  wrought  wondrous  things. 
Jacob  is  the  classic  illustration  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. The  early  life  of  Jacob  is  not  pleasant 
reading,  and  the  wrong  he  did  his  brother  is  hard 
to  forget.  The  young  man  leaves  his  home  and 
starts  out  to  make  a  place  for  himself  in  the  world. 
And  that  first  night  away  from  home  he  lays  him- 
self down  to  sleep  beneath  the  Syrian  stars  and 
moon;  and  whilst  it  is  night  he  has  a  vision  of 
God  and  His  angels.  The  experience  makes  a 
deep  impression  on  Jacob,  who  vows  a  vow,  dedi- 
cates his  life  to  God  in  a  larger  and  more  intimate 
way;  sets  up  a  pillar  there  and  calls  it:  Bethel. 
The  years  pass  on  and  Jacob's  life  is  a  curious 
mixture  of  good  and  evil.  Seemingly  he  has  for- 
gotten Bethel;  then  comes  his  separation  from  his 
father-in-law,  Laban;  his  journeying  back  toward 
his  old  home;  and  lo,  the  warning  of  Esau's  ap- 
proach with  four  hundred  men.  Again  Jacob  is 
left  alone  with  God,  and  that  night  came  the  crisis 
of  his  life.  Jacob  confessing  his  dependence  upon 
God,  is  born  again;  he  becomes  a  new  creature  and 
Jehovah  gives  him  a  new  name.   Instead  of  Jacob, 


30      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


which  means  a  supplanter,  he  is  called  Israel, 
which  signifies  A  Prince  with  God,  And,  as  with 
Jacob,  so  with  all  other  great  characters  of  the 
Bible,  they  found  power  in  and  by  close  com- 
munion with  God.  Abraham  on  the  mountain; 
Moses  in  the  wilderness  of  Midian;  Gideon  on  the 
threshing  floor;  Samuel  in  the  house  of  EH;  David 
in  the  cave;  Elijah  in  the  mountain  fastness; 
Isaiah  in  the  temple;  Daniel  in  his  own  room  with 
the  windows  open  toward  Jerusalem;  John  the 
Baptist  in  the  wilderness;  Paul  in  Arabia;  John 
on  the  Island  of  Patmos; — the  great  company  of 
patriarchs,  prophets,  priests,  apostles,  martyrs, 
missionaries,  were  all  made  strong  through  the 
ministry  of  silence. 

Mr.  Stewart  Edward  White  wrote  a  book  a  few 
years  ago  called  "  The  Silent  Places,"  describing 
some  of  the  great  silent  stretches  of  God's  out-of- 
doors.  Every  life  should  have  its  silent  places, 
its  closet  experiences,  where  God  and  man  meet 
and  commune.  These  places  may  vary  in  location 
though  alike  in  aloneness  with  God.  As  Isaac  of 
old  went  out  to  meditate  in  the  field  at  eventide, 
so  God's  out-of-doors  may  serve  as  an  oratory  for 
many  a  soul  who  is  seeking  Him.  Never  shall  I 
forget  a  day  when  all  alone  I  stood  on  the  rim  of 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona  and  looked  into 
that  Titan  of  Chasms,  piled  with  mountains,  fur- 
rowed with  valleys,  and  jewelled  with  "  purple 
peaks  remote."    A  great  silence  came  upon  me 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE  31 


and  I  heard  God's  voice  speaking  in  the  majesty 
and  awful  grandeur  of  that  wonder  of  the  world. 
Sometimes  in  open  field,  sometimes  along  the  sea- 
shore, sometimes  in  the  depth  of  a  great  forest, 
alone  with  God  we  may  experience  the  ministry 
of  silence  and  thereby  enrich  our  knowledge  of  the 
Almighty.  But,  oftenest  and  perhaps  best  and 
wisest,  is  the  silent  period  in  the  seclusion  of  one's 
room.  Not  all  of  us  can  go  to  mountain,  or  sea- 
shore; not  all  of  us  can  walk  every  day  in  quiet 
country  fields.  We  are  a  busy  people;  families 
are  dependent  upon  us;  we  have  much  to  do;  but 
there  is  not  one  of  us  who  may  not  keep  the  quiet 
hour  if  we  choose  to  have  it  so.  Fifteen  minutes 
every  day,  either  in  the  morning  or  the  evening 
(the  morning  is  perhaps  the  better  time),  in  quiet 
meditation  and  devotional  reading  of  a  brief  Scrip- 
tural passage,  is  the  best  possible  preparation  for 
a  busy  day  of  work.  Yet  how  few  keep  the  quiet 
hour  or  provide  for  the  silent  places.  Perhaps 
not  one  in  a  thousand  who  wears  the  Christian 
name  makes  this  provision  for  the  soul's  need  of 
silence.  And  because  we  neglect  this  our  lives  may 
be  powerless;  defeat  comes  instead  of  victory; 
discouragement  enters  where  hope  and  expectancy 
should  abide.  "  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God." 
The  soul  needs  silence;  our  lives  hunger  for  the 
bread  of  heaven,  and  we  know  not  where  to  find 
supply.  Behold  a  storehouse  at  our  right  hand ! 
Of  all  who  have  ever  lived,  none  knew  God  as 


32      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Jesus  Christ  knew  Him.  How  came  it  so?  Be 
sure  it  was  not  an  accident.  No  busier  man  ever 
walked  the  earth  than  Jesus  during  those  days 
when  He  journeyed  through  Gahlee,  Judea,  Perea, 
healing,  teaching  and  blessing  the  multitudes.  But 
diligent  as  Jesus  was,  His  life  was  never  feverish; 
He  never  was  rufifled;  He  never  was  caught  off  His 
guard;  His  poise  was  perfect.  And  there  is  a 
reason  for  it.  Occupied  as  He  was,  thronged  by 
the  multitude,  sometimes  too  busy  to  rest  or  eat, 
Jesus  kept  inviolate  His  times  of  retirement  when, 
alone  with  the  Father,  He  found  strength  for  His 
unwearied  ministry.  Such  sentences  as  these  from 
the  Gospel  narrative  reveal  the  open  secret  of  His 
well-poised  life:  "  He  went  out  into  the  solitary 
place  and  there  He  prayed."  "  He  withdrew  Him- 
self into  the  wilderness  and  there  He  prayed." 
"  He  rose  up  a  little  while  before  day  and  de- 
parted into  a  solitary  place  to  pray."  "  And  it 
came  to  pass  in  these  days  that  He  went  out  into 
the  mountain  to  pray,  and  He  continued  all  night 
in  prayer  to  God."  In  the  silent  places  Jesus 
Christ  came  to  know  God  as  no  one  before  nor 
since  has  known  him.   Think  of  Gethsemane : 

"  'Tis  midnight,  and  on  Olive's  brow 
The  star  is  dim  that  lately  shone. 
'Tis  midnight, — in  the  Garden  now 
The  suffering  Saviour  prays  alone." 

It  was  in  the  Garden,  and  not  on  Calvary,  that 
Jesus  won  the  great  victory.   He  was  alone  in  that 


THE  SOUL'S  NEED  OF  SILENCE  33 


experience,  parted  a  stone's  cast  from  James  and 
John  and  Peter — His  three  intimates.  And  alone 
in  the  Garden  with  God  Jesus  learned  the  Father's 
will  completely.  And  from  that  silent  place,  with 
the  light  of  victory  bathing  His  brow  in  beauty, 
He  suffered  Himself  to  be  led  away  to  His  tri- 
umphant victory 

"  Be  still,  and  know  that  I  am  God."  Aye,  it 
is  hard  to  learn  to  be  still.  It  is  as  hard  for  us  to 
be  still  when  God  bids  us  as  it  is  for  our  children 
when  we  bid  them  to  be  quiet.  And  yet  the  soul 
has  need  of  silence  if  we  grow  in  knowledge  of 
God ;  and  whether  or  not  we  choose  to  be  still,  by- 
and-bye  the  experience  must  come  when  we  shall 
perforce  have  to  be  still.  Some  great  and  bitter 
disappointment  will  come  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue; 
our  hopes  will  be  blasted  into  nothingness;  our 
castles  in  the  air  will  dissolve;  for  us  the  heavens 
will  become  as  brass;  our  strength  turned  into 
weakness;  our  manifold  activities  and  boundless 
energies  suddenly  paralyzed.  We  shall  have  no 
heart  to  go  about  our  wonted  occupations;  life  will 
have  palled  upon  us  and  all  the  world  wear  the 
weeds  of  widowhood.  Or,  it  may  be  that  still- 
ness will  come  by  way  of  death  in  the  household. 
A  voice  will  be  stilled  that  made  music  all  the 
day;  the  laughter  of  a  little  child  heard  no  more 
on  stairway  or  through  hall;  wife  or  husband, 
mother  or  father,  may  be  gathered  into  the  "  vasty 
halls  of  death  "  and  over  the  household  there  will 


34      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


come  such  a  stillness  as  can  almost  be  felt.  And 
then,  oh  miracles  of  miracles,  out  of  that  great 
silence  there  may  be  vouchsafed  unto  us  a  vision 
of  God  that  will  satisfy  our  soul's  deepest  long- 
ings. Scales  will  fall  from  our  eyes,  and  like 
Jacob  of  old  we  shall  gain  a  new  victory  and  win 
for  ourselves  a  new  name. 

"  I  walk  down  the  Valley  of  Silence, — 

Down  the  dim,  voiceless  valley — alone! 
And  I  hear  not  the  fall  of  a  footstep 
Around  me,  save  God's  and  my  own ; 
And  the  hush  of  my  heart  is  as  holy 
As  hovers  where  angels  have  flown ! 

"  Do  you  ask  me  the  place  of  the  Valley, 
Ye  hearts  that  are  harrowed  with  care? 

It  lieth  far  between  mountains, 

And  God  and  His  angels  are  there ; 

And  one  is  the  dark  mount  of  Sorrow, 
And  one  is  the  bright  mountain  of  Prayer." 

THOU  GOOD  AND  WISE  FATHER,  TEACH  US  TO  BE 
QUIET,  HELP  US  TO  BE  STILL.  HUSH  THOU  OUR 
CLAMOROUS  OUTCRIES,  STAY  OUR  FUTILE  STRIFE. 
CALM  OUR  FEVERISH  LIVES.  STABLISH  OUR  SOULS 
IN  SILENCE  THAT  OUR  KNOWLEDGE  OF  THEE  MAY 
GROW  AND  "  MORE  OF  REVERENCE  IN  US  DWELL."" 


Ill 

THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH 


"Who  could  have  thought  my  shrivell'd  heart 

Could  have  recover'd  greenness?    It  was  gone 
Quite  underground:  as  flowers  depart 

To  see  their  mother-root,  when  they  had  blown ; 
Where  they  together 
All  the  hard  weather, 
Dead  to  the  world,  keep  house  unknown. 

"These  are  thy  wonders,  Lord  of  power. 

Killing  and  quickening,  bringing  down  to  hel! 
And  up  to  heaven  in  an  hour; 
Making  a  chiming  of  a  passing  bell 
We  say  amiss, 
This  or  that  is: 
Thy  word  is  all,  if  we  could  spell." 

James  Leakmount. 


Ill 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH 


"  And  when  it  was  evening  he  Cometh  with  the 
twelve.  And  as  they  sat  and  were  eating,  Jesus  said, 
Verily  I  say  unto  you,  one  of  you  shall  betray  me, 
even  he  that  eateth  with  me.  They  began  to  be  sor- 
rowful, and  to  say  unto  him  one  by  one,  Is  it  I  ?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  It  is  one  of  the  twelve,  he  that 
dippeth  with  me  in  the  dish." — Mark  14:  17-20. 


HERE  were  thirteen  men  present  at  the 


Last  Supper  in  an  upper  room  in  Jerusa- 


lem; thirteen — yet  as  we  gaze  upon  the 
scene  we  can  discern  clearly  but  two — ^Jesus  and 
Judas.  The  eleven  others  are  as  so  many  lay  fig- 
ures and  for  the  time  they  do  but  fill  in  the  back- 
ground. Jesus  of  Nazareth  and  Judas  of 
Kerioth,  these  two  fill  the  canvas  of  that  scene 
completely;  they  dominate  it  wholly.  And  what 
a  contrast — Jesus  and  Judas!  Set  a  day  of  sun- 
shine and  roses  over  again  storm-filled  night  of 
no  moon  or  stars;  limpid,  life-giving  stream  over 
against  foul  miasmatic  swamp;  set  peace  serene 
and  life  buoyant  over  against  war  terrible  and 
death  horrible;  range  heaven  alongside  of  hell; 
and  at  first  blush  the  contrast  is  not  greater  than 
that  of  Jesus  and  Judas.  Even  so,  I  am  believing 
that  we  have  but  skimmed  the  surface  of  this 


37 


38      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


solemn  and  tragic  narrative.  We  praise  Jesus  and 
condemn  Judas;  and  think  we  have  finished.  We 
shall  do  well  to  examine  this  sad  story  yet  more 
searchingly  and  it  may  be  that  we  shall  discover 
lessons  hitherto  overlooked. 

Jesus  knew  what  was  in  judas'  mind,  yet 
without  the  slightest  show  of  anger  he 

DEALT  WITH   HIM  IN  TENDEREST  LOVE.     Try  tO 

imagine  the  scene;  put  yourself  in  Jesus'  place. 
Here  was  a  company  of  twelve  who  had  been  with 
Him  for  three  years,  comrades,  friends,  intimates; 
and  now  one  of  them  was  about  to  betray  the 
Master,  to  sell  Him  for  a  bagful  of  silver  into  the 
hands  of  His  enemies.  Not  only  so,  but  that  one 
was  in  the  room  and  to  all  outward  appearance 
as  loving,  as  loyal,  as  the  others.  There  is  some- 
thing serpentine  about  a  traitor;  there  is  some- 
thing low  and  devilish  in  treason.  If  we  had  been 
in  Jesus'  place  what  would  we  have  done?  If  I 
had  been  there  what  would  I  have  done?  If  I 
understand  myself  at  all,  I  think  I  know  what  I 
would  have  been  tempted  to  do  if  I  had  been  in 
Jesus'  place  in  that  upper  room.  I  think  I  would 
have  risen  from  the  table,  white  faced  and  trem- 
bling, full  to  overflowing  with  hot  anger,  and 
pointing  with  shaking  finger  toward  Judas,  I 
would  have  said:  "That  man  is  a  traitor;  he  is 
selling  me  into  the  enemy's  hands;  yet  he  pretends 
to  be  my  friend.  This  room  is  too  small  for  him 
and  me;  I  cannot  breathe  with  such  an  ingrate 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH  39 


here;  take  him  from  this  place  and  as  you  take 
him  do  with  him  whatever  you  think  his  damnable 
treason  deserves."  In  some  such  manner  I  can 
imagine  myself  dealing  with  Judas.  But  recollect 
now  what  Jesus  did  that  last  night  in  the  upper 
room. 

First  and  foremost,  Jesus  washed  Judas'  feet. 
In  the  absence  of  a  servant,  the  twelve  disciples 
should  have  performed  this  menial  service  each 
for  the  other;  but  engrossed  in  the  discussion  of 
"  which  was  accounted  to  be  greatest "  they 
omitted  it  entirely.  So  Jesus  girded  Himself  with 
a  towel  and  taking  a  basin  of  water  began  to  wash 
the  feet  of  His  disciples,  one  after  another,  John 
and  James  and  Peter  and  Judus ;  yes,  Jesus  washed 
the  feet  of  Judas. 

"  Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas ! 
The  dark  and  evil  passions  of  his  soul, 

His  secret  plot,  and  sordidness  complete, 
His  hate,  his  purposing,  Christ  knew  the  whole ; 

And  yet,  in  love  He  stooped  and  washed  his  feet. 

"  Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas  ! 
Though  all  his  lurking  sin  was  bare  to  Him, 

His  bargain  with  the  priest  and  more  than  this 
In  Olivet  beneath  the  moonlight  dim, 

Aforehand  knew  and  felt  the  treacherous  kiss. 

"  Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas ! 
And  so  ineffable  His  love,  'twas  mete 

That  pity  fill  His  great  forgiving  heart 
And  tenderly  to  wash  the  traitor's  feet. 

Who,  in  his  Lord,  had  basely  sold  his  part 


40      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


"  Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas ! 
And  thus  a  girded  servant,  self-abased, 

Taught  that  no  wrong  this  side  the  gate  of  heaven 
Was  e'er  too  great  to  wholly  be  effaced, 

And  though  unasked,  in  spirit  be  forgiven. 

"  And  so,  if  we  have  ever  suffered  wrong 

Of  trampled  rights,  of  caste,  it  matters  not 
Whate'er  the  soul  has  felt  or  suffered  long, 

O  heart,  this  one  thing  must  not  be  forgot, 
Christ  washed  the  feet  of  Judas !  " 

Not  only  did  Jesus  wash  the  feet  of  His  be- 
trayer, but  He  also  gave  the  sop  to  Judas:  John 
13  -.26.  To  give  the  sop  was  a  mark  of  distinction, 
a  token  of  affection,  and  of  special  favour.  When 
an  Oriental  entertained  his  guests  he  singled  out 
the  one  he  wished  to  honour  most  by  dipping  a 
piece  of  bread  in  a  syrup  and  handing  it  to  a 
favourite  guest.  Such  was  the  manner  in  which 
Jesus  honoured  Judas  when  that  disciple  stood  on 
the  very  brink  of  his  act  of  treason  and  betrayal. 
Jesus  did  not  give  this  sop  to  Judas  simply  as  a 
sign  to  let  John  know  who  the  betrayer  was.  That 
was  quite  incidental  and  secondary.  Jesus  singled 
out  Judas  for  this  honour  and  gave  the  sop  to  him 
as  a  token  of  the  love  which  was  well-nigh  break- 
ing His  heart  at  that  very  moment.  And  not  only 
for  Judas,  but  for  all  His  disciples  who  should 
ever  be  tempted  as  Judas  was,  Jesus  gave  the  sop 
that  awful  night  of  His  betrayal.  As  He  dipped 
the  sop  and  handed  it  to  Judas  it  was  as  if  He  said 
in  that  very  act:   "  Judas,  I  know  what  is  in  thy 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH  41 


heart.  I  know  thy  purpose  to  betray  me;  but  I 
love  thee,  Judas.  See,  here  is  the  sop  as  a  token 
of  my  love  for  thee.  Judas,  now  canst  thou  be- 
tray me  into  the  hands  of  my  enemies?  Judas,  I 
love  thee." 

This  is  one  of  the  apparently  slight  incidents  in 
the  Hfe  of  our  Lord  which  is  portentous  with  deep- 
going  lessons.  In  the  attitude  of  Jesus  toward 
Judas  in  the  upper  room,  there  is  a  revelation  of 
the  very  heart  of  God.  Jesus  loved  Judas  to  the 
very  end.  It  is  beyond  our  comprehension  that 
neither  the  washing  of  his  feet,  nor  the  giving  of 
the  sop,  broke  down  utterly  the  purpose  of  the 
betrayer.  Evidently,  Jesus  saw  then  that  the  case 
was  hopeless;  that  Judas  was  determined  to  do  the 
deed,  and  He  therefore  said  to  him :  "  What  thou 
doest,  do  quickly."  That  is  to  say :  "  Since  you 
are  bound  to  betray  me,  Judas,  betray  me  as  soon 
as  you  can.  Let  it  be  over  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment."  W^hat  a  human  touch  this  is!  When 
we  know  that  something  in  the  way  of  a  tragic 
experience  impending  and  certain  is  about  to  come 
upon  us  we  want  it  to  come  at  once  and  be  ended. 
If  the  waters  are  to  overcome  us  we  cannot  bear 
to  hear  them  fall,  drip  by  drip,  and  feel  them  rise 
by  slow  inches  about  us.  Instead,  we  welcome 
the  flood  from  the  open  gates  which  pour  upon 
us  with  terrible  tide. 

Judas'  sin  was  not  an  isolated  one,  nor 
does  it  place  him  in  a  class  all  by  himself. 


42      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Dante,  in  his  picture  of  "  The  Inferno,"  attempts 
to  measure  the  terrible  sin  of  the  betrayer  by  plac- 
ing poor  Judas  next  to  Satan  himself.  There  is 
no  warrant  for  such  a  conception  of  Judas'  sin, 
either  in  the  Scriptures  or  in  reason.  An  eminent 
English  preacher  informs  us  that  in  his  early  min- 
istry he  prepared  and  preached  a  sermon  on  Judas 
in  which  he  excoriated  him  and  held  his  act  up  to 
shame  and  terrible  condemnation.  He  fairly 
flayed  poor  Judas,  and  for  several  years  the  ser- 
mon was  with  him  a  prime  favourite.  But  there 
came  a  time  when  he  began  to  lose  interest  in 
that  sermon  on  Judas,  and  there  came  a  day  when 
he  laid  it  aside  never  to  preach  it  again.  I  fancy 
nearly  every  young  preacher  has  had  a  similar 
experience.  In  my  early  ministry  I  prepared  with 
great  care  a  sermon  on  the  betrayer  which  I  called : 
"  Judas,  a  Study  in  Black."  But  I  cannot  preach 
that  sermon  now.  Similarly,  there  will  come  a 
time  in  every  young  preacher's  experience  when  he 
will  not  preach  that  kind  of  a  sermon  on  Judas. 
He  will  leave  off  flaying  Judas  because  he  comes 
to  know  that  treason  to  Christ  did  not  cease  when 
Judas  died.  He  begins  to  understand  himself, 
and  is  too  conscious  of  temptation  to  traitorous 
thoughts  and  deeds  to  hold  up  Judas  only  to  scorn 
or  flout  his  treason.  There  is  a  text  from  Paul, 
sooner  or  later  every  conscientious  preacher  must 
take  to  heart :  i  Corinthians  lo :  12 — "  When  a  man 
thinketh  he  standeth  let  him  take  heed  lest  he  fall." 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH  4S 


Reflect  upon  the  exclamations  of  the  disciples 
when  Jesus  said  to  them :  *'  One  of  you  shall  be- 
tray me."  Immediately  they  all  began  to  inquire: 
"  Lord,  is  it  I  ?  "  "  Is  it  I  ?  "  "  Is  it  I  ?  "  And 
in  like  manner,  when  the  matter  of  our  Lord's 
betrayal  in  these  latter  days  is  considered,  so  must 
we  all,  if  we  are  sincere  and  candid,  inquire: 
"Lord,  is  it  I?"  "Is  it  I?"  Judas,  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  betrayed  his  Lord;  and  Judas  has 
many  successors.  The  solemn  truth  is  that  it  is 
easier  to  trace  the  succession  of  Judas  than  the 
Apostolic  succession.  Judas  sold  Jesus  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  and  some  sell  their  Lord  today  at  a 
lower  price  than  that.  Thirty  minutes  of  compro- 
mise of  honour,  virtue,  or  truth,  a  "  passing  thrill, 
a  momentary  titillation  of  a  nerve,"  political  pres- 
tige, public  office,  foolish  pride,  sordid  ambitions 
— all  prizes,  some  great,  some  small, — which  are 
offered  to  nowaday  disciples  of  Jesus  to  sell  Him 
out.  Moreover,  some  who  sell  Jesus  in  these 
modern  times — unlike  Judas — do  not  return  the 
blood  money,  but  keep  it  in  the  bank  and  check 
it  out  for  pleasure  trips,  automobiles,  and  beauti- 
ful homes.  No,  if  we  are  honest  with  ourselves 
we  must  be  honest  with  Judas.  He  sinned  deeply 
and  tragically;  but  his  sin  does  not  put  him  in  a 
class  of  infamy  all  by  himself.  Alas,  Judas  is  but 
one  of  a  great  company.  Until  our  own  hands  are 
clean  and  our  own  hearts  pure,  we  cannot  con- 
sistently single  out  Judas  for  blow  upon  blow, 


44,      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


and  stripe  upon  stripe,  from  the  rod  of  our 
censure. 

Judas  was  with  the  sinless  one  for  three 
years,  and  he  was  not  made  better;  there- 
FORE HE  WAS   MADE  WORSE.     It  is  ever  SO.  It 

could  not  be  otherwise.  If  a  man  becomes  a  dis- 
ciple of  Christ  and  is  not  therefore  made  better, 
he  will  become  worse.  Depend  upon  it,  if  he  does 
not  become  better  he  will  deteriorate,  and  leanness 
of  soul  will  result.  The  very  fact  that  it  is  possi- 
ble for  one  to  receive  the  tokens  of  preferment,  as 
Judas  did  the  sop,  and  still  close  his  heart  to  love 
Divine,  is  a  terrible  warning  to  triflers  with  the 
things  of  the  soul.  A  man  who  listens  to  Jesus' 
teaching,  who  sits  under  it  Lord's  day  after  Lord's 
day,  and  yet  is  unmoved  and  makes  no  response 
to  that  "  tide  too  full  for  sound  or  foam,"  by-and- 
bye,  such  a  one  will  be  overwhelmed  by  that  very 
flood  of  misused  privileges.  The  last  state  of  such 
a  one  is  always  worse  than  the  first.  It  is  a  great 
responsibiHty  to  make  the  confession  of  Christ;  a 
weighty  obligation  to  become  His  disciple;  a  seri- 
ous business  to  become  a  member  of  His  church. 
To  do  so,  and  get  no  further  than  a  form  and 
ceremony,  or  a  nominal  membership,  necessarily 
means  a  consequent  falling  away,  a  slow  but  sure 
spiritual  decay. 

The  strange  incident  of  Jesus  cursing  the 
"  braggard  fig  tree,"  Matthew  21:20-22,  Mark 
1 1 : 20-25,  contains  the  solemn  warning  for  those 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH  45 


who  wear  the  livery  of  heaven  but  possess  not 
heaven  in  the  heart.  The  fig  tree  was  condemned 
not  for  being  fruitless,  but  for  being  false.  Out- 
wardly it  announced  to  the  world  that  it  was  fruit- 
ful; by  the  profusion  of  leaves  that  it  put  forth 
it  professed  to  have  fruit;  but  instead  there  was 
nothing  thereon  but  leaves.  As  a  symbol  of  moral 
and  religious  character,  the  tree  was  a  deceiver 
and  a  hypocrite,  and  for  this  reason  Jesus  pro- 
nounced a  symbolic  judgment  upon  it. 

In  a  certain  city,  within  a  radius  of  four  blocks, 
there  reside  four  former  superintendents  of  Sun- 
day Schools,  who,  according  to  a  distinguished 
minister,  never  so  much  as  darken  a  church  door 
now.  It  is  not  necessary  to  know  the  reasons  why 
they  fell  away  from  their  high  estate;  it  is  only 
necessary  to  know  they  fell — that  is  enough.  In 
every  community,  and  especially  in  the  great  cities, 
there  are  multitudes  of  people  who  once  found  joy 
and  service  in  the  Christian  life  who  now  never 
enter  a  church,  do  not  read  the  Scriptures,  or  have 
any  religious  life  whatsoever. 

The  career  of  Judas  Iscariot  needs  to  be  studied 
afresh  by  every  minister,  every  prominent  Chris- 
tian worker,  every  professed  follower  of  Jesus 
Christ,  as  well  as  by  those  who  have  never  named 
that  Name  which  is  above  every  name.  There  is 
a  time  in  the  life  of  every  man  and  woman  when 
the  better  nature  will  respond  to  the  appeal  of  the 
highest.    And  there  is,  likewise,  a  place  in  the 


46      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


process  of  deterioration  when  the  invitations  of 
Divine  love  and  protests  of  the  most  appeaUng 
character,  fall  upon  dull  and  listless  ears.  So  it 
happened  to  Judas;  so  has  it  happened  to  thou- 
sands; so  it  may  happen  to  many  of  us  if  we  per- 
mit our  souls  to  shrivel  and  close  our  hearts  to 
God. 

If  JUDAS  WAS  LOST  IT  WAS  NOT  BECAUSE  HE 
BETRAYED  HIS  LORD,  BUT  HAVING  BETRAYED  HIM 

HE  DESPAIRED  OF  FORGIVENESS.  The  Scriptures 
tell  us  that  Judas,  when  he  died,  went  to  his  own 
place.  Wherever  that  place  was,  there  he  went. 
But  the  tragedy  of  Judas  is  not  his  sin  of  betrayal, 
but  rather  his  sin  of  despair,  which  led  him  not 
in  penitence  to  Jesus'  feet,  but  drove  him  to  self- 
destruction.  Christina  Rossetti's  lines  are  appli- 
cable to  the  case  of  the  Man  of  Kerioth : 

"  A  fall  is  not  a  signal  to  lie  wallowing,  but  to  rise. 
It  is  not  the  signal  I  ought  to  choose,  yet  it  is  the  signal 

I  have  chosen, 
Having  chosen  wrongly  let  me  at  least  obey  it  rightly." 

Peter's  plight  after  his  denial  of  Jesus  was  al- 
most as  pitiful  as  Judas',  but  Peter  went  out  into 
the  night  to  weep  bitter  tears  of  penitence  and  so 
came  back  to  Christ.  Judas  came  part  of  the  way 
back,  Peter  all  the  way.  Repentance,  as  taught  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  signifies  a  complete  turn,  a 
ceasing  to  do  evil,  a  learning  to  do  good.  One 
may  say  that  the  beginning  of  repentance  is  a 
knowledge  of  sin;  and  that  sorrow  for  sin  is  the 


THE  CASE  OF  JUDAS  OF  KERIOTH  47 


Half-Way  House  on  the  way  back  to  forgiveness. 
Judas  started  back  and  got  as  far  as  the  House  of 
Sorrow,  and  there  he  stopped.  In  that  Half-Way 
House,  on  the  way  to  pardon,  Judas  bowed  down 
by  remorse,  broken,  undone,  believed  himself  too 
vile  to  live  and  there  his  flickering  light  went  out 
in  darkness. 

Peter  went  the  whole  way  to  repentance.  He,  too, 
came  up  to  the  Half-Way  House  of  Sorrow,  but 
journeyed  on  to  the  Palace  of  Forgiveness.  Wise 
Peter,  how  we  like  to  praise  him!  Poor  Judas, 
how  can  we  but  pity  him!  If  only  he  had  gone 
back  to  his  waiting  Lord  he  would  have  found  a 
reception  such  as  awaited  the  prodigal  son  at  his 
father's  house.  We  ought  never  to  despair  of  any 
man  or  woman;  we  ought  always  to  be  willing  and 
anxious  to  lift  up  the  fallen  and  rescue  the  perish- 
ing. But  we  shall  fail  of  our  bounden  duty  if  we 
neglect  to  teach  men  that  they  can,  if  they  choose, 
put  themselves  in  such  an  attitude  toward  God 
that  even  God,  Himself,  cannot  save  them  from 
themselves. 

The  case  of  Judas  is  sad  enough  to  make  angels 
weep,  but  no  sadder  than  the  case  of  multitudes  of 
his  nowaday  disciples.  To  what  humility  and  con- 
trition should  a  study  of  the  case  of  Judas  bring 
us  and  how  free  from  boastfulness  and  foolish 
pride  should  such  a  study  leave  us ! 

O  CHRIST,  FORGIVE  US  OUR  WILLINGNESS  TO 
HEAP  OPPROBRIUM  ON  JUDAS  ISCARIOT  WHEN  WE 


48      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


OURSELVES  HAVE  FAILED  THEE  TIME  AND  TIME 
AGAIN.  CONTRASTED  WITH  THINE  OUR  LIVES  AT 
THEIR  BEST  ARE  POOR  AND  MEAGRE.  IN  THE  LIGHT 
OF  THY  LOVE  MAY  WE  SO  WALK  THAT  NO  SHADOW 
OF  TREASON  SHALL  EVER  AGAIN  FALL  ATHWART 
THAT  WAY  WHICH  SHINETH  EVER. 


IV 

THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION 


"  Would  I  suffer  for  one  that  I  love?   So  wouldst  thou,  so 
wilt  thou. 

.  .  .  He  who  did  most  shall  bear  most;  the  strongest  shall 

stand  the  most  weak! 
'Tis  the  weakness  in  strength,  that  I  cry  for!    My  flesh 

that  I  seek 

In  the  Godhead!   I  seek  and  I  find  it.   O  Saul,  it  shall  be 
A  face  like  my  face  that  receives  thee;  a  man  like  to  me 
Thou  shalt  love  and  be  loved  by,  forever;  a  hand  like  this 
hand 

Shall  throw  open  the  gates  of  new  life  to  thee!    See  the 
Christ  stand ! " 

Robert  Browning. 


IV 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION 


"  Go  thou  near  and  hear  all  that  Jehovah  our  God 
shall  say,  and  speak  thou  unto  us  all  that  Jehovah  our 
God  shall  speak  unto  thee  and  we  shall  hear  it  and  do 
it." — Deuteronomy  5 :  27. 

1  HE  scene  is  impressive.   In  the  background 


is  Mount  Sinai  lurid  with  Hghtning,  over- 


hung with  smoke,  resonant  with  thunder. 
Below  in  the  plain  are  gathered  the  Israelitish  peo- 
ple, fearful,  wondering.  Up  into  the  fastness  of 
the  mountain  that  might  not  be  touched,  Moses 
makes  his  way  and  there  he  stands  listening  to  the 
voice  of  God.  On  the  one  hand,  and  afar  off,  the 
Israelitish  host;  on  the  other,  the  symbols  of  God's 
presence;  and  between  Israel  and  Jehovah  is 
Moses,  the  Mediator. 

A  mediator,  a  "  go-between,"  how  old  the  idea, 
how  perennially  fresh  the  need!  This  idea  of 
mediation  and  of  mediator  is  woven  all  through 
the  warp  and  woof  of  the  Jewish  religion,  and  for 
that  matter,  more  or  less,  through  every  religion. 
The  Old  Testament  is  full  of  it;  the  idea  of  priest 
and  sacrifice,  symbol  and  type  of  mediation  is 
there;  and  the  idea  is  also  in  the  New  Testament 
and  is  part  of  the  Christian  faith.  To  a  greater 
or  lesser  degree  the  idea  of  mediation  is  recognized 


51 


62      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


by  all  Christian  communions,  embodied  in  liturgy, 
in  hymnology,  and  forms  of  worship.  In  some 
churches  the  idea  of  mediation  is  strongly  stressed 
and  the  office  of  mediator  clothed  with  special 
power  and  dignity.  But  quite  apart  from  the  for- 
mal and  priestly  office,  Christendom  recognizes 
this  truth  of  mediation  and  applies  it  in  countless 
ways. 

The  Christian  ministry,  as  conceived  by  all 
churches,  has  in  it  something  of  the  mediatorial 
nature.  Whether  the  minister  be  called  pastor,  or 
priest,  or  preacher,  or  rector,  or  missionary,  or 
evangelist,  or  chaplain,  he  is  a  mediator  and  part 
of  his  work  is  mediation.  As  the  Israelites  said 
to  Moses,  so  likewise  a  congregation  of  Christians 
say  in  effect  to  their  minister :  "  Go  thou  near  and 
hear  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  say,  and  speak 
unto  us  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  speak  unto 
thee,  and  we  will  hear  it  and  do  it."  Not  that  the 
ministerial  office,  as  we  conceive  it,  has,  in  and 
of  itself,  any  special  approach  to  God  that  other 
Christians  have  not,  but  that  it  affords  unique 
opportunities  for  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  for 
reflection  and  communion  with  God.  When  a 
church  selects  a  minister  it  is  as  though  the  mem- 
bership representing  various  vocations  should  say 
to  him:  "  We  are  a  busy  people;  we  are  busy  in 
home  and  in  store  and  in  shop;  we  believe  in  God, 
we  wish  to  know  more  of  His  will.  Go  thou  near 
and  hear  what  the  Lord  our  God  shall  say,  speak 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  53 


thou  unto  us  all  that  the  Lord  shall  speak  unto 
thee,  and  we  will  hear  and  do  it." 

On  reflection,  it  must  impress  us  all  as  a  wise 
provision  that  God  has  chosen  as  mediators 
human  beings  and  so  subject  to  all  the  vicissitudes 
to  which  mankind  is  heir.  Moses,  Israel's  media- 
tor, was  very  human.  Chosen  as  he  was  and 
trained  for  his  special  work  to  lead  Israel,  and 
to  act  as  mediator  between  them  and  God,  he  was 
from  among  their  people,  blood  of  their  blood, 
and  bone  of  their  bone.  And  in  that  very  fact 
is  one  secret  and  power  of  his  mediation.  If 
angels  preached  the  gospel  to  us  doubtless  their 
preaching  would  be  better  than  man's,  but  the 
likelihood  is  that  the  appeal  of  the  gospel  as 
preached  by  angels  would  be  less  effective  than 
when  it  comes  by  the  lips  of  a  fellow-mortal.  A 
glorious  company  of  angels  proclaiming  the  Word 
of  God  would  be  a  splendid  spectacle,  but  not 
nearly  so  persuasive  as  that  same  gospel  preached 
by  Paul  battling  with  the  thorn  in  his  flesh;  or 
Peter  struggling  with  his  impetuous  nature,  or 
John  seeking  to  control  the  tempestuous  temper 
that  so  beset  him  in  his  early  days. 

Recently  I  read  an  article  on  "  New  Ideals  of 
Church  Leadership,"  in  which  the  author  said: 
"If  the  church  is  to  have  power  it  must  have 
leaders  who  are  specialists;  if  it  is  to  have  an 
edifying  pulpit,  an  efficient  pastorate,  a  successful 
business  management,  and  satisfactory  music,  it 


54,      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


must  have  these  departments  headed  by  speciaHsts. 
Let  one  man  with  a  gift  for  preaching  be  employed 
to  do  nothing  else;  let  another  with  special  quali- 
fications for  pastoral  work  visit  the  members;  let 
the  finances  of  the  church  be  shaped  by  special- 
ists; and  let  the  music  director  have  charge  of  all 
the  music  of  the  congregation."  I  am  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  spirit  of  the  writer  and  in  hearty 
agreement  with  some  of  his  suggestions.  I  think 
I  understand,  in  part  at  least,  the  conditions  that 
moved  him  to  suggest  such  division  of  church 
leadership.  It  is  true  that  no  minister  can  preach 
with  power  who  is  worn  mentally  and  physically 
by  heavy  detail  and  routine  duties.  The  relieving 
him  of  such  burdens  is  not  only  right  but  is  abso- 
lutely necessary  if  the  prophetic  function  of  the 
pulpit  be  realized  in  messages  of  power.  Yet,  I 
question  the  wisdom  of  appointing  a  man  to  preach 
and  to  do  nothing  else.  Undoubtedly,  he  might 
prepare  fine  and  finished  sermons  and  entertain- 
ing lectures,  but  I  am  not  at  all  sure  that  he  would 
be  able  to  interpret  the  voice  of  God  to  his  people. 
Moses  went  into  the  Holy  Mount,  but  he  did  not 
remain  there;  he  returned  to  the  people,  and  he 
returned  not  merely  to  deliver  his  message  but  to 
mingle  with  them  and  help  bear  their  burdens. 
Moses  had  numerous  helpers,  but  he  bore  the  bur- 
den of  his  people's  needs  and  that  burden  was 
often  heavy  on  his  heart.  Therefore,  his  media- 
tion was  the  better,  the  stronger,  the  truer,  I  think. 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  55 


Once  I  listened  to  a  great  preacher  in  his  own 
pulpit  when  he  was  as  the  Holy  Spirit  set  to  music. 
He  was  a  fit  vessel  for  the  Master's  use  that  morn- 
ing; he  had  heard  Jehovah  and  with  winsome 
power  he  told  us  what  he  had  heard.  The  sermon 
thrilled  through  and  through;  it  made  me  feel 
that  nothing  is  worth  having  save  God  in  the  soul. 
I  heard  this  man  again  in  his  pulpit  when  he  was 
worn  and  weary  and  his  thought  was  rather  com- 
monplace. His  personality  was  not  magnetic  as 
before.  He  preached  with  evident  difificulty  and 
the  sermon  was  uphill  work  all  the  way  through. 
I  realized  that  the  preacher  was  not  at  his  best  and 
perceived  that  he  was  mediating  God's  Word  to 
the  people  under  very  great  disadvantages,  and 
that  very  fact  drew  the  messenger  to  me  by  bonds 
of  sympathy.  I  said  to  myself :  "  Here  is  a  man 
carrying  the  burdens  of  a  very  large  congrega- 
tion; he  has  been  listening  to  the  story  of  loss  and 
sorrow  all  week;  he  has  been  overtaxed;  the  virtue 
has  gone  out  of  him.  He  is  one  with  us  in  the 
great  common  experiences  of  life;  he  is  mediating 
between  us  and  God,  as  best  he  can,  the  Word  of 
Jehovah  and  to  build  us  up  in  the  faith  that  saves." 

I  am  not  excusing  dullness  on  a  minister's  part; 
on  the  contrary,  if  the  dullness  be  through  indo- 
lence, it  is  not  excusable.  A  preacher  who  is  dull 
and  listless  and  commonplace  because  he  is  indo- 
lent is  positively  harmful.  Such  a  man  has  no 
place  in  the  pulpit.    But  Moses  mediating  Jehovah 


56      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


to  the  children  of  Israel,  sometimes  with  breaking 
heart,  sometimes  weary  in  mind  and  body,  is  a 
figure  at  once  majestic  and  potent.  There  is 
something  beautiful,  even  helpful,  in  the  spectacle 
of  a  Christian  minister  who,  like  Moses,  speaks 
for  Jehovah;  and  like  him,  sometimes  in  stress 
and  anxiety,  mediates  his  message  through  a  per- 
sonality weighed  down  by  ministrations  in  behalf 
of  mankind. 

If  I  were  a  member  of  a  congregation  sitting 
in  the  pew  Sunday  after  Sunday,  I  would  give 
the  weight  of  my  influence  in  behalf  of  the  minis- 
ter's release  from  much  of  the  routine  work  of 
church  management,  but  I  would  not  want  him 
to  live  apart  over  much  from  his  people.  I  would 
not  want  him  on  the  mount  all  the  week,  coming 
down  only  on  Sunday  to  preach.  I  would  want 
him  in  the  mount  of  silence  and  contemplation 
long  enough  to  hear  the  voice  of  Jehovah;  but  I 
would  want  him,  also,  down  on  the  plain  with  the 
people  as  was  Moses  in  the  long  ago.  No  media- 
tor can  remain  in  the  mount  and  mediate  God's 
truth.  Down  below  are  the  people  who  are  need- 
ing to  hear  of  what  has  taken  place  in  the  moun- 
tain fastness  where,  face  to  face,  the  mediator  has 
communed  with  the  Invisible.  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson's  "  Will  o'  the  Mill,"  lived  high  up  on 
a  mountain  side  and  watched  the  world  go  by. 
Below  him  the  people  came  and  went,  below  him 
men  and  women  and  children  lived  and  loved  and 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  57 


died.  High  up,  almost  amidst  the  clouds,  "  Will 
o'  the  Mill "  lived  and  died.  He  communicated 
nothing  to  the  world,  he  was  not  a  mediator;  he 
lived  and  moved  and  had  his  being  apart  from  the 
people,  beyond  them,  aloof  and  alone.  The  min- 
istry of  mediation  requires  contact  and  communion 
with  God  first,  and  then  contact  and  communion 
with  God's  children, 

"  Go  thou  near  and  hear  all  that  the  Lord 
our  God  shall  say."  There  is  a  fine  art  of  hearing. 
"  Take  heed  how  ye  hear,"  is  one  of  Jesus'  warn- 
ings. For  myself,  I  confess  a  difiiculty  in  hear- 
ing; the  subtle  temptation  which  besets  me  is  to 
hear  a  little  and  talk  a  great  deal.  One  of  the  ever 
present  perils  of  a  preacher  is  that  he  become  a 
parrot,  that  he  wax  voluble,  and  his  message  grow 
wordy  rather  than  weighty.  It  is  a  great  privi- 
lege to  be  a  "  Voice;  "  John  the  Baptist  was  a 
Voice  and  he  was  a  prophet.  It  is  easier  to  be- 
come a  "  mouth,"  to  be  a  word-monger,  instead 
of  a  word-mediator. 

"  Go  thou  near  and  hear  all  that  the  Lord  our 
God  shall  say."  This  privilege  belongs  not  only 
to  the  minister  but  to  every  Christian.  All  that 
has  been  affirmed  in  this  study  with  reference  to 
the  ministry  is  true  also  of  the  laity.  Theoreti- 
cally, most  of  us  believe  in  the  mediatorship  of 
every  believer.  Practically,  we  ignore  it.  In 
Sunday  School  or  Prayer  Meeting  talk  we  are 
sure  that  Christ  has  commissioned  every  believer 


58      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


to  go  and  make  other  disciples.  In  the  hurly- 
burly  of  everyday  life  we  act  as  though  we  bore  no 
such  high  commission.  The  New  Testament,  and 
particularly  the  Hebrew  Epistle,  teaches  the  priest- 
hood of  every  Christian.  To  be  a  priest  under 
the  old  Jewish  order  was  a  very  great  honour; 
an  honour  and  a  dignity  which  in  the  old  order 
could  belong  to  only  a  few  may,  under  the  new,  be 
bestowed  upon  the  humblest  follower  of  Christ. 
If  every  Christian  is  a  priest,  then  two  things  fol- 
low: First,  he  has  the  priestly  prerogative  which 
is  the  right  to  go  to  God  without  hindrance. 
Our  word  for  his  priceless  privilege  is  the  short 
and  simple  term  "  prayer  " — prayer  for  one's  self, 
prayer  for  others.  Second,  if  every  Christian  is 
a  priest,  then  the  priestly  function  is  his  and  that 
is  to  ofifer  sacrifice.  Not  the  burnt  offerings  as 
under  the  old  Jewish  order,  but  sacrificial  minis- 
try of  a  life  dedicated  to  God  through  Christ. 
The  Apostle  Paul,  in  Romans  12:1,  sums  up  the 
matter  superbly:  "I  beseech  you  therefore, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  to  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  to  God, 
which  is  your  spiritual  service."  And  in  the  He- 
brew Epistle,  13:15,  the  idea  is  finely  expressed: 
"  Through  him  then  let  us  offer  up  a  sacrifice  of 
praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  lips 
which  make  confession  to  his  name.  But  to  do 
good  and  to  communicate  forget  not:  for  with 
such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased." 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  59 


Truly,  we  are  called  to  be  mediators  of  the  new 
covenant  and,  higher  calling  than  this  there  is  not 
in  all  the  world.  Yet,  even  so,  they  are  incom- 
plete, they  are  partial,  and  not  altogether  suc- 
cessful. The  frailties  of  human  nature  make  the 
mediation  of  human  beings  imperfect.  The  me- 
diatorship  of  Moses  was  not  perfect.  And  this 
brings  us  to  the  recognition  of  that  universal 
yearning  of  humanity  for  a  mediator  between  God 
and  man  that  shall  be  complete,  lacking  in  noth- 
ing, perfect.  God  seems  so  far  distant,  so  awful, 
so  almighty;  man  so  small,  so  futile,  so  feeble. 
Who,  or  what,  shall  bridge  the  great  gulf?  Job 
sets  forth  this  longing  of  mankind  eloquently 
when  out  of  his  deep  distress  he  cries : 

"  God  is  not  a  man  that  I  should  answer  him. 
There  is  no  daysman  betwixt  us 
That  might  lay  his  hand  upon  us  both. 
Then  would  I  speak  and  not  fear  him." 

This  is  the  cry  of  all  humanity,  and  this  great 
cry  God  has  answered  in  Jesus  Christ.  Christ  ful- 
fills every  longing  of  the  human  heart;  He  is  the 
"  daysman  "  or  "  umpire  "  for  whom  Job  longed; 
He  is  betwixt  us  and  the  Father;  and  He  lays, 
so  to  speak,  one  understanding  hand  upon  the 
Father  and  one  understanding  hand  upon  us.  He 
is  the  answer  to  Phillip's  pathetic  plaint :  "  Show 
us  the  Father  and  it  sufficeth  us."  A  wonderful 
reach  this  Mediator  has;  He  reaches  through  the 
vast  spaces  and  lays  hold  upon  God;  He  reaches 


60      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


down  into  the  vast  depth  to  the  fartherest  fallen 
humanity.  His  humanity  commends  Him  to  us; 
He  was  of  us  and  is  one  with  us,  and  He  is  of 
God  and  one  with  God.  All  the  mediators  be- 
tween God  and  man,  all  the  great  line  of  prophets, 
were  conscious  of  limitations,  were  sensible  of 
sin;  but  here  is  One  unbroken  by  sin  and  having 
His  being  in  closest  fellowship  with  the  Father, 
One  whose  mediation  is  without  flaw. 

The  author  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  has 
appraised  this  Mediator  aright,  has  set  Him  be- 
fore us  at  once  as  the  highest  and  lowliest.  In 
Scripture  that  ought  to  be  memorized  by  every  fol- 
lower of  the  Lord  Christ,  the  author  of  the  epis- 
tle to  the  Hebrews  writes :  "  We  have  not  a  high 
priest  who  cannot  be  touched  with  the  feeling  of 
our  infirmities,  but  one  that  hath  been  in  all  points 
tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.  Let  us, 
therefore,  draw  near  with  boldness  unto  the  throne 
of  grace  that  we  may  receive  mercy  and  may  find 
grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need." 

Speaking  by  and  large,  the  Scriptures  record 
on  the  one  hand  the  ascent  of  man,  and  on  the 
other  hand  the  descent  of  God.  That  is  to  say: 
the  Scriptural  narratives  show  man  reaching  out 
after  God  "  if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him 
and  find  him,"  to  use  Paul's  meaningful  phrase 
in  his  speech  on  Mars  Hill.  And,  the  Scriptures 
also  show  God's  descent;  said  Jesus :  "  I  am  come 
down  out  of  heaven;"  and  so  it  comes  to  pass 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  61 


that  God's  reaching  out  to  man  and  man's  reach- 
ing out  after  God — that  these  two  endeavours 
meet  in  Jesus  Christ.  A  mediation  Godward  and 
manward,  satisfactory,  sustaining,  incomparable. 
Whatever  theology  one  may  have  of  the  work 
and  office  of  Jesus  Christ,  every  sincere  student 
of  His  life  must  concede  this  mediatorial  minis- 
try of  the  Nazarene.  The  world  has  never  been 
the  same  since  Jesus  came;  Hfe  has  never  been 
precisely  as  it  was  before;  death  has  lost  some- 
what its  darkness  and  its  tragedy. 

The  Old  Testament  looks  forward  to  a  better 
mediator  than  Moses.  The  types  and  figures  and 
shadows  of  the  old  Jewish  system  are  fulfilled  and 
given  substance  in  the  life  and  ministry  of  our 
Lord.  Alongside  of  the  Old  Testament  books  of 
Exodus  and  Deuteronomy,  the  epistle  to  the  He- 
brews should  be  ranged  and  compared.  The 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews  has  one  great  theme  and 
one  alone,  and  that  is  to  show  the  superiority  of 
Christianity  over  Judaism,  of  Christ  over  Moses. 
If  the  account  of  Moses  at  Mount  Sinai,  mediating 
between  God  and  Israel,  is  impressive,  the  record 
of  the  mediation  of  the  New  Covenant  is  surpass- 
ing beautiful.  Alongside  of  Exodus,  the  nine- 
teenth and  twentieth  chapters,  and  Deuteronomy, 
the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters,  with  their  terrifying 
descriptions  of  Sinai  and  the  awestruck  Israelitish 
hosts,  should  be  placed  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
Hebrews  and  that  ineffable  description  of  the  new 


62      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


mediation  accomplished  with  beauty  and  grace  in 
Jesus  Christ.  "  For  ye  are  not  come  unto  a  mount 
that  might  be  touched,  and  that  burned  with  fire, 
and  unto  blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tempest,  and 
the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  the  voice  of  words; 
which  voice  they  that  heard  entreated  that  no 
word  more  should  be  spoken  unto  them;  for  they 
could  not  endure  that  which  was  enjoined.  If 
even  a  beast  touch  the  mountain,  it  shall  be  stoned ; 
and  so  fearful  was  the  appearance  that  Moses  said, 
I  exceedingly  fear  and  quake;  but  ye  are  come 
unto  Mount  Zion  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  innumerable 
hosts  of  angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church 
of  the  firstborn  who  are  enrolled  in  heaven,  and 
to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and  to  the  spirits  of  just 
men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the  mediator  of 
a  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling  that 
speaketh  better  than  that  of  Abel." 

I  have  read  lately  Henry  Sienkieicz's  little 
booklet  entitled :  "  Let  Us  Follow  Him."  I  like 
much  that  title,  "  Let  Us  Follow  Him,"  for  to  fol- 
low Him  is  to  go  near,  yea,  very  near,  to  the  Lord 
our  God;  to  venture  unafraid  into  the  vasty  deeps 
of  the  Spirit;  to  follow  Him  is  to  hear  a  voice 
speaking  like  the  Voice  of  Many  Waters;  to  fol- 
low Him  is  to  come  down  from  the  mountain 
and  from  out  of  the  silence  into  the  very  midst 
of  the  noisy  multitude;  to  follow  Him  is  to  min- 
ister to  men  and  women  storm-tossed,  sin-smitten, 


THE  MINISTRY  OF  MEDIATION  63 


terribly-tempted,  and  all  but  undone;  to  follow 
Him  is  to  mediate  God's  forgiveness  and  restora- 
tion to  the  Father's  House  of  many  Mansions. 

OH  CHRIST,  THOU  GREAT  MEDIATOR,  THOU  WHO 
ART  ONE  WITH  THE  FATHER  AND  ONE  WITH  US 
ALSO,  "  GO  THOU  NEAR  AND  HEAR  ALL  THAT 
JEHOVAH  OUR  GOD  SHALL  SAY  AND  SPEAK  THOU 
UNTO  US  ALL  THAT  JEHOVAH  OUR  GOD  SHALL 
SPEAK  UNTO  THEE,  AND  WE  SHALL  HEAR  AND 
DO  IT." 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE 


"  I  have  closed  the  door  on  Doubt ; 
I  will  go  by  what  light  I  can  find, 
And  hold  up  my  hands,  and  reach  them  out 

To  the  glimmer  of  God  in  the  dark  and  call : 
'  I  am  thine,  though  I  grope  and  stumble  and  fall, 
I  serve ;  and  thy  service  is  kind.' 

"  I  have  closed  the  door  on  Fear. 

He  has  lived  with  me  far  too  long. 
If  he  were  to  break  forth  and  reappear, 

I  should  lift  my  eyes  and  look  at  the  sky. 
And  sing  aloud,  and  run  lightly  by; 
He  will  never  follow  a  song. 

"  I  have  closed  the  door  on  Gloom. 
His  house  has  too  narrow  a  view. 
I  must  seek  for  my  soul  a  wider  room, 

With  windows  to  open  and  let  in  the  sun. 
And  radiant  lamps  when  the  day  is  done. 
And  the  breeze  of  the  world  blowing  through." 

British  Weekly. 


V 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE 


"  For  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight." — //  Corinthians  5 :  7. 
f  I  iHE  second  Epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Corin- 


thians is  a  most  human  document.  Stu- 


dents of  the  Scriptures  are  of  the  opinion 
that  nowhere  else  do  we  get  so  close  to  the  heart 
of  the  great  Apostle  as  in  this  letter.  Having 
dispatched  his  first  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians  by 
the  hand  of  Titus,  Paul  awaited  the  news  of  its 
receptiort  with  no  small  anxiety.  Six  months 
passed  and  then  in  Macedonia  he  met  Titus,  who 
reported  that  the  Corinthian  Christians  had  re- 
ceived the  Epistle  cordially  and  immediately  set 
about  the  accomplishment  of  the  reform  advised 
by  Paul.  This  information  greatly  encouraged 
the  Apostle  and  he  at  once  wrote  the  second  Epis- 
tle, the  first  part  of  which  is  given  over  to  expres- 
sions of  gratitude  and  affection. 

The  Apostle's  gratitude  overflows  like  a  river 
in  time  of  flood.  He  is  sure  of  God.  He  walks 
by  faith.  Whatever  his  weakness,  he  rests  upon 
the  Divine  power  of  the  Everlasting  Arms.  His 
anxieties  have  been  more  than  compensated  for  by 
the  willingness  of  the  Christians  at  Corinth  to 


67 


68      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


correct  the  abuses  that  had  crept  into  the  church 
there,  and  by  the  repentance  of  wrongdoers. 

The  closing  verses  of  the  fourth  chapter  are 
as  a  mighty  river  approaching  the  sea,  and  the 
opening  verses  of  the  fifth  are  as  old  ocean  itself. 
Paul  was  never  more  eloquent.  He  refers  to  his 
affliction  as  light  and  only  for  a  moment,  which 
will  be  transmuted  into  an  eternal  weight  of  glory. 
The  decay  of  the  outward  man,  he  explains,  means 
the  growth  of  the  inward  man,  and  as  the  temporal 
fades  away  the  eternal  becomes  more  and  more 
luminous  and  glorious.  Then  the  Apostle  sets 
forth  a  most  enchanting  view  of  death.  He  be- 
lieves that  as  the  bodily  frame  fades  and  dissolves, 
it  exposes  to  view  a  building  from  God,  eternal 
in  the  heavens.  The  tent  gives  away  to  the  man- 
sion, the  mortal  body  to  a  spiritual  body;  it  is 
as  though  there  is  a  body  within  a  body,  as  the 
one  decays  the  other  grows  and  at  death  the 
spiritual  emerges  from  the  physical.  The  mortal 
is  swallowed  up  of  life.  The  poet  builds  upon 
Paul's  words  for  his  great  lines: 

"  This  body  is  my  house,  it  is  not  I ; 
Herein  I  sojourn  till  in  some  far  sky 
I  lease  a  fairer  dwelling,  built  to  last 
Till  all  the  carpentry  of  earth  is  past." 

This  servant  of  Christ  is  constantly  thinking  of 
his  Lord  and  of  his  meeting  Him  shortly  face  to 
face  and  he  writes :  "  Whilst  we  are  at  home  in 
the  body  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord."  And 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  69 


here  it  is  that  he  throws  in  by  way  of  parenthesis 
the  words  of  the  text :  "  For  we  walk  by  faith, 
not  by  sight,"  and  affirms  that  he  and  his  fellow- 
workers  make  it  their  aim  whether  at  home  (with 
Christ)  or  absent  (from  Christ),  to  be  well  pleas- 
ing unto  Him. 

"  For  we  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight." 
That  we  do,  and  not  only  in  the  sense  of  the 
Apostle's  use  of  the  word  here,  but  likewise  in 
another  sense  of  the  term  we  walk  by  faith  every 
day  of  our  lives.  It  is  not  optional  with  us,  we 
are  compelled  so  to  walk;  our  daily  afifairs  are 
done  by  faith — not  necessarily  faith  in  God,  but 
faith  in  one  another,  faith  in  institutions,  faith 
in  organizations,  faith  in  something.  Two  or 
three  homely  instances  of  this  fact  are  in  order. 

A  man  takes  a  long  journey;  he  plans  to  cross 
the  continent.  He  will  travel  in  the  course  of  that 
journey  several  thousand  miles,  and  he  will  per- 
force travel  by  faith.  A  train  on  which  he  is  rid- 
ing may  be  wrecked  and  his  life  crushed  out.  A 
hotel  in  which  he  is  sleeping  may  burn  and  con- 
sume him.  He  may  become  ill  on  the  way  and 
die  far  away  from  home  and  friends.  There  are 
a  dozen  ways  in  which  his  life  may  be  lost  or  his 
body  bruised  and  mangled  on  that  journey.  He 
will  simply  have  to  make  that  journey  by  faith. 
True,  if  he  is  a  wise  man  he  will  minimize  all  the 
risks  and  safeguard  his  life  and  facilitate  his  trav- 
elling in  every  way  possible;  he  will  purchase  his 


70      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


ticket  over  the  best  road,  or  roads;  he  will  run  no 
unnecessary  risks;  he  will  attempt  to  keep  himself 
in  the  best  physical  condition.  And  yet,  withal, 
he  will  have  to  make  that  trip  by  faith. 

Here  are  two  men  who  are  about  to  embark  in 
business.  They  have  formed  a  partnership.  They 
purpose  to  establish  a  store  or  a  manufacturing 
concern,  and  they  are  compelled  to  do  this  by  faith. 
They  are  running  certain  risks — one  of  the  part- 
ners may  prove  dishonest,  they  may  be  unable  to 
establish  their  credit,  they  may  not  be  able  to  keep 
pace  with  the  fierce  current  of  competition.  And 
inasmuch  as  above  ninety  per  cent,  of  business  en- 
terprises fail,  they  are  certainly  making  a  venture 
of  faith.  If  they  are  wise  men,  however,  they  will 
reduce  their  risk  to  a  minimum;  each  will  en- 
deavor to  satisfy  himself  as  to  the  integrity  of  his 
partner;  both  of  them  will  look  well  to  their  credit; 
they  will  consider  the  wisdom  of  a  good  location; 
they  will  be  cautious  in  outlays  and  seek  to  keep 
expenses  down.  But  even  so,  they  will  have  to 
make  their  business  venture  by  faith. 

Here  are  two  young  people  about  to  build  a 
home — not  a  house,  but  a  home — an  enter- 
prise that  calls  for  faith  at  one  of  its 
highest  ventures.  There  are  a  hundred  and 
one  things  that  may  make  that  home-building 
process  a  wreck  and  ruin.  They  may  be  incom- 
patible in  temperament  and  unable  to  live  in  peace; 
one  or  the  other  may  be  extravagant;  their  kins- 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  71 


people  may  interfere  and  bring  about  annoyance 
and  domestic  infelicity;  sickness  or  adversity  may 
come  and  death  may  leave  husband  or  wife  to  face 
the  future  with  a  family  of  helpless  little  ones 
and  no  money.  If  they  are  wise  young  people 
they  will  reduce  these  risks  to  a  minimum.  They 
will  not  let  the  little  blind  god  delude  them  and 
they  will  be  reasonably  certain  that  they  can  live 
together  happily  and  usefully.  They  will  have 
some  outlook  financially  before  they  make  a  ven- 
ture so  important  as  this;  and  they  will,  if  they 
are  wise,  deal  gently  and  patiently  with  any  fam- 
ily relationship  that  might  threaten  to  mar  their 
marital  happiness.  Yet,  even  so,  they  will  have 
to  build  their  home  and  plan  their  wedded  life  by 
faith. 

"  For  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight."  Indeed 
we  do,  otherwise  we  cannot  walk  at  all.  We  live 
every  day  of  our  lives  by  faith.  We  get  up  in 
the  morning  by  faith,  and  at  night  we  lie  down  to 
sleep  by  faith.  We  mail  letters  by  faith;  we  send 
telegrams  by  faith.  We  eat  and  drink  by  faith. 
We  sow  and  plant  by  faith.  We  choose  the  family 
physician  by  faith,  and  engage  the  service  of  an 
attorney  by  faith.  A  congregation  of  Christians 
call  a  minister  by  faith  and  he  in  turn  enters  upon 
his  pastorate  by  faith. 

Not  only  do  we  live  by  faith  daily  and  walk 
by  faith  hourly  and  conduct  our  business  and 
build  our  homes  and  take  our  place  in  society  by 


72      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


faith,  but  every  now  and  then  our  faith  receives 
a  tremendous  shock.  Men  and  women  in  whom 
we  have  had  faith  disappoint  us  and  fail  us,  and 
some  betray  us  with  a  "  Judas  Kiss."  Institutions 
in  which  we  have  beHeved  with  all  our  heart  go 
down  over  night  to  wreck  and  ruin.  Organiza- 
tions in  which  we  put  our  faith  disintegrate  and 
dissolve  in  failure.  Yet,  nevertheless,  while  these 
experiences  are  not  uncommon,  they  are  the  ex- 
ceptions rather  than  the  rule  and  despite  them  we 
continue  to  walk  by  faith,  for  if  we  try  to  walk 
otherwise  our  days  of  usefulness  are  ended  and 
we  are  stranded  on  the  barren  shores  of  doubt  and 
distress. 

For  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight."  In  the 
sense  that  Paul  meant  this  we  walk  by  faith 
scarcely  more  than  in  the  daily  conduct  of  busi- 
ness and  home  and  our  relation  in  society  in  gen- 
eral. Strangely  enough,  (or  is  it  strange?)  when 
we  turn  to  the  realm  of  the  unseen  and  considera- 
tion of  the  great  questions:  "Whence  am  I?" — 
"  Whither  am  I  bound  ?  "  we  are  prone  to  stumble 
and  to  stop  at  the  very  thought  of  walking  by 
faith.  We  want  to  see,  we  want  to  know.  We 
crave  certainty.  We  plead  for  proof.  And  little 
wonder!  The  mystery  of  life  perplexes  us.  We 
come  into  this  world  and  we  are  not  here  very 
long  until  we  learn  that  it  is  a  world  of  inequali- 
ties, of  tears,  of  pain,  and  of  suffering.  We  look 
about  us  and  we  see  that  righteousness  is  not  al- 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  73 


ways  rewarded  here.  We  behold  some  of  the 
best  and  most  unselfish  souls  suffering  poverty 
and  heavy  affliction.  We  see  others  who  do  not 
live  lives  of  honesty  and  sobriety  and  helpful- 
ness, yet  they  are  prosperous  and  live  in  luxury. 
We  see  some  men  and  women  bearing  grievous 
burdens  of  mental  and  physical  stress  who  deserve 
the  best  that  life  can  bestow;  we  see  death  strike 
down  the  most  useful  members  of  society  and  leave 
untouched  for  years  characters  that  are  worthless 
to  themselves  and  to  the  community.  And  we  are 
perplexed,  we  are  sorely  distressd,  we  wonder 
why? 

"  This  is  the  cry 
That  echoes  through  the  wilderness  of  earth, 
Through  song  and  sorrow,  day  of  death  and  birth ; 

'Why?' 

"  It  is  the  high 
Wail  of  the  child  when  all  his  life  to  face, 
Man's  last  dumb  question  as  he  reaches  space; 

'Why?'" 

Frankly,  there  are  only  two  ways  that  we  can 
meet  these  vicissitudes  of  life  and  the  mystery  of 
death, — one  is  to  try  to  think  them  through,  to 
reason  them  out, — and  the  other  is  to  meet  them 
in  simple  faith,  believing  where  we  cannot  prove. 

And  if  we  are  wise  men  and  women  we  will 
do  in  this  great  matter  as  we  are  doing  daily  in 
other  matters.  We  will  take  advantage  of  every 
provision  for  the  life  of  faith  in  God.  Princely 


74      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


provision  has  been  made  for  us;  the  Father  hath 
sent  His  Son,  and  the  Son  has  shed  upon  Hfe's 
dark  mysteries  a  great  and  mellow  light.  His 
was  a  life  of  faith,  and  such  a  faith  the  world 
has  never  known  before  nor  since.  It  was  stead- 
fast and  stable.  It  was  captivating  and  contagious. 
He  was  sure  of  God,  Jesus  was.  No  experience, 
however  dark,  could  hide  the  Father's  love.  For 
a  single  brief  period  on  the  Cross,  enshrouded  by 
thick  clouds,  He  thought  Himself  forsaken  and 
then,  breaking  out  of  the  darkness,  light  and  love 
from  the  Father  flooded  His  soul.  With  this 
Father  He  lived  in  daily  communion,  He  conversed 
with  Him  freely;  He  found  a  fellowship  with  Him 
unto  the  end.  Even  so,  the  life  of  our  Lord  was 
fraught  with  suffering,  and  the  author  of  the  He- 
brew Epistle  declares  that  He  was  made  "perfect 
through  sufferings."  Jesus'  faith  triumphed  over 
pain,  over  misunderstanding,  over  malignment, 
over  rejection,  over  the  Cross,  over  the 
grave.  As  faith  saves  us,  so  faith  saved  our 
Saviour.  The  great  Founder  of  the  Christian 
faith  did  not  accept  the  dilemma  that  if  God  is 
good  He  is  not  Almighty,  and  if  He  is  Almighty 
He  is  not  good.  He  taught  and  believed  that  God 
is  both. 

A  study  of  Jesus  in  Gethsemane  should  help  us 
all  to  walk  by  faith  the  sorrowful  way  over  which, 
sometimes,  our  feet  must  go.  It  was  in  the  Garden 
that  the  great  souls  of  earth  have  come  to  know 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  75 


God  best.  It  is  in  the  Garden  that  we  shall  meet 
the  ministering  angels.  The  Apostle,  from  whose 
letter  the  text  is  taken,  declares  to  the  church  at 
Rome  that  "  to  them  that  love  God  all  things  work 
together  for  good."  "  Work  together  for  good," 
yes,  but  this  process  is  a  long  one  and  we  cannot 
see  the  end  now.  And  yet  there  are  those  who 
have  lived  long  enough  to  know  that  some  experi- 
ences which  overwhelmed  at  the  time  with  grief 
were  for  the  best.  Before  we  can  determine  that 
loss  and  separation  and  death  of  dearly  beloved 
have  in  them  naught  but  ill  we  must  survey  them 
from  a  distance,  we  must  view  them  from  the  high 
hills  of  hope  where  the  horizons  widen  wonder- 
fully. Time  is  a  sure  and  stalwart  vindicator  of 
all  God's  plans. 

Some  years  ago  I  was  talking  with  a  business 
man  who  was  sorely  perplexed  and  distressed. 
There  had  taken  place  in  our  community  the  sud- 
den, though  not  unexpected,  death  of  a  splendid 
man  in  the  full  strength  of  mature  life,  a  man  of 
integrity,  of  keen  insight,  and  a  citizen  of  high 
ideals  and  wide  influence.  The  man  who  had  died 
was  formerly  a  business  associate  of  the  man  with 
whom  I  was  conversing.  We  were  speaking  about 
his  untimely  death,  the  brave  fight  he  had  made 
for  life,  and  the  business  man  voiced  the  doubt 
and  difficulty  of  thousands  when  he  said  to  me  with 
some  emotion :  "  I  cannot  understand  it.  Walk- 
ing the  streets  of  our  city  this  morning  are  men 


76      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


that  you  and  I  know  are  worthless.  They  are 
hindrances  instead  of  helps  both  to  their  famihes 
and  to  the  community.  Some  of  these  men  humil- 
iate and  even  harm  their  families,  and  yet  they  are 
living  today  and  this  good  man  is  dead.  It  is  all 
dark  and  doubtful,  and  I  cannot  think  my  way 
through  it."  I  did  not  answer  him  at  once.  I 
could  not.  But  after  a  little  silence  I  repHed: 
"  No,  we  cannot  think  our  way  through  a  prob- 
lem of  this  kind.  We  have  to  trust  our  way 
through.  We  have  to  walk  by  faith."  And  I  re- 
member his  serious  face  and  how  he  solemnly 
shook  his  head  as  he  said :  "  Yes,  I  suppose  that 
is  the  best  way,  but  it  is  not  an  easy  way."  Then 
a  silence  fell  upon  us  again.  At  some  time  or 
another  I  dare  say  we  all  feel  as  this  man  felt. 
Faith  is  seldom,  if  ever,  easy  at  first.  Yet  even 
so,  the  way  of  faith  is  easier  than  the  way  of 
doubt,  which  darkens  more  and  more  to  the  dismal 
night,  while  faith  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the 
perfect  day. 

I  recall  a  memorable  conversation  I  once  had 
with  a  man  for  whom  I  cherish  an  abiding  affec- 
tion. We  were  talking  of  this  problem  of  suffer- 
ing, of  separation,  and  of  death;  and  he  told  me 
that  many  years  ago  his  sister,  after  a  little  more 
than  a  year  of  married  life,  died  in  a  far  Western 
state,  leaving  a  motherless  babe.  He  described  to 
me  the  coming  of  the  funeral  party  to  the  old 
home  of  the  young  woman.    It  was  in  midwinter 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  77 


and  the  snow  lay  upon  the  face  of  the  earth.  He 
said  he  recalled  that  together  with  other  members 
of  the  family  he  sat  up  until  midnight  talking  in 
subdued  tones  of  their  great  loss,  the  first  great 
loss  that  had  come  to  that  home.  He  told  me  that 
his  sister  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  characters 
he  had  ever  known  and  that  it  seemed  to  him  and 
the  other  members  of  the  family  that  if  either  the 
mother  or  the  child  had  to  die  it  would  have  been 
better  that  the  beautiful  life  of  the  young  mother 
be  spared.  He  said  they  welcomed  tenderly  the 
little  life  to  that  home,  yet  cherishing  still  the  feel- 
ing, in  those  first  days  of  bitter  grief,  that  it  would 
have  been  far  better  had  the  child  died  and  the 
mother  lived.  That  was  more  than  thirty  years 
ago,  so  he  told  me,  and  the  child  had  grown  into 
sturdy  manhood  and  useful  career,  and  he  said : 
"  My  sister  has  spoken  through  the  life  of  her 
son  and  through  him  served  the  world  as  she  per- 
haps never  could  have  done  had  the  child  died  and 
her  life  been  prolonged  for  many  years." 

The  testimony  of  that  earnest  man  is  eloquent, 
but  not  so  eloquent  as  the  fact  that  thirty  years  of 
his  life  were  necessary  before  he  could  bear  such 
witness.  By  faith  we  must  walk  else  we  shall  faint 
and  fall  by  the  way.  With  John  Henry  Newman 
let  us  learn  to  say :  "  I  do  not  ask  to  see  the  dis- 
tant scene,  one  step  enough  for  me." 

Faith  ?  What  is  faith  ?  Like  love  and  light  and 
truth,  it  is  a  hard  word  to  define.  Some  have  called 


78      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


faith  the  sixth  sense — the  eyes  of  the  soul — the 
sense  of  the  unseen.  Yet,  while  faith  is  difficult 
to  define,  it  readily  yields  to  illustration.  And  I 
can  recall  no  lovelier  illustration  of  faith  than  a 
letter  written  by  Robert  J.  Burdette  on  the  bed  of 
pain,  from  which  that  preacher-poet  went  to  be 
with  his  Lord  not  long  after  his  tired  fingers 
penned  these  words: 

"  Ever  since  June,  1912,  when  I  made  my  last 
public  appearance,  we  have  been  living  in  our  sum- 
mer home  down  here  by  the  sea.  *  Eventide,'  Mrs. 
Burdette  named  it,  because  it  faces  the  sunset. 
It  is  very  pleasant,  this  *  afternoon  land,'  in  spite 
of  sickness.  I  watch  the  sunset  as  I  look  out  over 
the  rim  of  the  blue  Pacific,  and  there  is  no  mys- 
tery beyond  the  horizon  line,  because  I  know  what 
there  is  over  there.  I  have  been  there.  I  have 
journeyed  in  those  lands.  Over  there  where  the 
sun  is  just  sinking  is  Japan.  That  star  is  rising 
over  China.  In  that  direction  lie  the  Philippines. 
I  know  all  that.  Well,  there  is  another  land  that 
I  look  toward  as  I  watch  the  sunset.  I  have  never 
seen  it.  I  have  never  seen  any  one  who  has  been 
there;  but  it  has  a  more  abiding  reality  than  any 
of  these  lands  which  I  do  know.  This  land  be- 
yond the  sunset — this  land  of  immortality,  this 
fair  and  blessed  country  of  the  soul, — why,  this 
Heaven  of  ours  is  the  one  thing  in  the  world  which 
I  know  with  absolute,  unshaken,  unchangeable  cer- 
tainty.   This  I  know  with  a  knowledge  that  is 


FAITH  AND  FORTITUDE  79 


never  shadowed  by  a  passing  cloud  of  doubt.  I 
may  not  always  be  certain  about  this  world;  my 
geographical  locations  may  sometimes  become  con- 
fused. But  that  other  world, — that  I  know.  And 
as  the  afternoon  sun  sinks  lower,  Faith  shines 
more  clearly;  and  hope,  lifting  her  voice  in  a  higher 
key,  sings  the  songs  of  fruition." 

What  music  that!  What  a  swan  song  of  the 
soul !  And  who  but  a  follower  of  the  Christ  could 
so  shout  "  Halleluiah  "  in  the  presence  of  death? 

"  O  MASTER,  LET  ME  WALK  WITH  THEE 
IN  LOWLY  PATHS  OF  SERVICE  FREE; 
TELL  ME  THY  SECRET;  HELP  ME  BEAR 
THE  STRAIN  OF  TOIL,  THE  FRET  OF  CARE." 


VI 

THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


"  Something  kindlier,  higher,  holier. 
All  for  each  and  each  for  all. 
Earth  at  last  a  warless  world, 
A  single  race,  a  single  tongue. 

"  Every  tiger  madness  muzzled, 
Every  serpent  passion  killed. 
Every  grim  ravine  a  garden, 
Every  blazing  desert  tilled. 

"  Robed  in  universal  harvest. 
Up  to  either  pole  she  smiles ; 
Universal  ocean  softly 
Washing  all  her  warless  isles." 

Percy  C.  Ainsworth. 


VI 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


"  Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches ;  feed  me  with 
the  food  that  is  needful  for  me:  lest  I  be  full,  and 
deny  thee,  and  say,  Who  is  Jehovah?  or  lest  I  be 
poor,  and  steal,  and  use  profanely  the  name  of  my 
God." — Proverbs  30 :  8-9. 

1HESE  are  the  words  of  Agur,  an  ancient 


sage  whose  epigrams  are  contained  in  the 


thirtieth  chapter  of  Proverbs.  This  is  the 
only  place  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  where  his  name 
occurs.  The  fragment  of  his  writings,  however, 
that  has  come  down  to  us  is  bold  and  brilliant. 
His  proverbs  are  of  the  pungent,  easily-remem- 
bered sort.  His  literary  style  is  very  effective.  A 
favourite  device  in  the  writings  of  this  wise  man 
is  to  arrange  his  subject-matter  in  numbers,  thus : 
"  Two  things  have  I  required  of  thee;  " — "  There 
be  three  things  which  are  too  wonderful  for  me;  " 
— "Three  things  that  are  never  satisfied;" — 
"  There  be  four  things  which  are  Httle  upon  the 
earth  but  they  are  exceeding  wise."  It  is  interest- 
ing to  know  that  some  students  of  this  thirtieth 
chapter  of  Proverbs  have  found  in  places  a  simi- 
larity to  the  style  of  the  Book  of  Job.  In  the 
midst  of  this  chapter  occurs  Agur's  audacious 
prayer: — "Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches; 


83 


84)      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


feed  me  with  the  food,  that  is  needful  for  me :  lest 
I  be  full,  and  deny  thee,  and  say,  Who  is  Jehovah  ? 
or  lest  I  be  poor,  and  steal,  and  use  profanely  the 
name  of  my  God." 

"  Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches."  Verily, 
this  is  an  audacious  prayer,  for  there  have  been 
those  who  held  that  poverty  was  a  virtue,  and 
there  are  others  who  reckon  riches  to  be  life's  most 
desirable  possession.  On  the  one  hand  are  those 
who  wrote  in  praise  of  poverty,  the  many  sincere 
Christians  of  the  Middle  Age  taking  vows  of  pov- 
erty and  subsisting  all  of  their  lives  on  the  sim- 
plest, even  the  meanest  of  food,  going  barefooted 
and  wearing  only  the  coarsest  and  plainest  of  gar- 
ments. Typical  and  representative  of  this  extreme 
at  its  best  is  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  a  lover  of  his 
Lord,  whose  conception  of  Christianity  resulted 
in  stripping  himself  of  all  his  earthly  possessions, 
owning  nothing  save  great  good  will  toward  all 
creatures. 

Contrariwise,  one  can  easily  recall  certain  well- 
known  names  of  these  latter  days  who  also  claim 
the  Christ  as  Lord  and  Master,  whose  wealth  in 
stocks  and  bonds  and  other  holdings  aggregates 
many  millions.  One  such  there  is,  and  a  most  de- 
vout churchman,  who  is  unable  to  reckon  accurately 
his  own  possessions,  so  great  they  are  both  in  in- 
trinsic and  potential  values.  Christendom,  as  a 
whole,  has  never  been  consistent  in  its  attitude 
toward  riches.    In  the  words  of  a  reverent  but 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


85 


eminently  fair-minded  student  of  Christianity: 
"  The  preaching  of  the  church  against  wealth  has 
been  equaled  only  by  its  zeal  to  obtain  it." 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi  has  few  modern  disciples 
and  there  is  little  likelihood  of  his  extreme  posi- 
tion finding  acceptance  in  our  modern  world  which 
estimates  success  so  largely  in  the  terms  of  silver 
and  gold,  of  lands  and  stocks.  There  are  few  to 
speak  in  praise  of  poverty  these  days;  there  are 
many  to  speak  in  praise  of  wealth.  But  here  is 
this  comparatively  unknown  wise  man  of  Old 
Testament  times  offering  a  most  unconventional 
prayer : — "  Give  me,"  he  prayed,  "  neither  poverty 
nor  riches."  Agur  was  a  philosopher,  a  shrewd 
observer.  He  looked  about  him  and  studied  the 
lives  of  his  contemporaries;  he  reflected  upon  their 
manner  of  living,  and  so  discerned  clearly  the 
dangers  of  riches  and  the  perils  of  poverty.  And 
thus  observing,  he  wanted  to  be  saved  from  the 
danger  of  both,  and  choosing  the  middle  estate 
prayed  neither  for  the  one  nor  for  the  other. 

"  Neither  poverty  nor  riches."  This  was  Agur's 
conclusion,  and  the  sanity  of  his  logic  was  perhaps 
never  so  apparent  as  today.  Consider  how  peril- 
ous is  the  problem  presented  by  extreme  poverty. 
Robert  Hunter,  in  his  work  entitled  "  Poverty," 
estimates  that  there  are  ten  millions  of  America's 
population  living  daily  on  the  brink  of  poverty's 
abyss.  Ten  millions — one-tenth  of  our  population 
— are  living  from  hand  to  mouth,  eking  out  a 


86      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


sterile  existence.  Out  of  such  a  condition  emerge 
some  of  the  most  ominous  of  our  country's  perils. 
Poverty  is  a  breeder  of  disease,  a  fosterer  of 
crime,  a  destroyer  of  efficiency,  a  blighter  of  hope, 
a  fruitful  source  of  pain  and  suffering,  a  slayer  of 
ambition,  an  enemy  of  good.  Where  one  person 
rises  from  abject  poverty  and  forges  to  the  front, 
nine  perhaps  fall  by  the  way.  There  is  a  point 
somewhere  in  living,  below  which  the  lack  of  suffi- 
cient clothing,  the  lack  of  wholesome  food,  the 
lack  of  comfortable  homes,  means  inefficiency, 
disease,  pain,  despair,  and  suffering.  Of  a  vast 
multitude  it  has  been  true  that 

"  Chill  penury  repressed  their  noble  rage, 
And  froze  the  genial  current  of  the  soul." 

Agur  saw  the  peril  of  poverty  and  he  shrank 
from  its  approach.  He  feared  the  meagre  exist- 
ence that  it  offered  would  drive  him  to  take  that 
which  belonged  to  others;  he  dreaded  penury  lest 
it  would  make  him  profane  and  call  upon  the 
name  of  God  in  derision.  And  who  will  say  he 
was  not  wise  in  his  wish  to  be  spared  the  hopeless 
struggle  with  want? 

Reflect  on  the  matter  of  excessive  riches;  the 
perils  of  great  possessions  have  been  acknowledged 
by  the  candid  minds  of  every  generation.  The 
Bible  is  a  storehouse  of  admonitions  against  the 
perils  of  riches;  the  entire  Book  of  Proverbs  scin- 
tillates with  warnings  against  the  temptations  of 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE  87 


great  prosperity.  Jesus  warned  His  hearers  pre- 
cept upon  precept  against  the  power  of  Mammon, 
and  of  all  His  recorded  sayings  none  is  more  singu- 
larly impressive  or  more  difificult  to  explain  away 
than  His  words :  "  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go 
through  a  needle's  eye  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter 
into  the  Kingdom  of  God."  Paul  said  that  the 
love  of  money  was  a  root  of  all  kinds  of  evil;  and 
in  the  same  letter,  his  first  epistle  to  Timothy,  he 
writes :  "  But  they  that  are  minded  to  be  rich 
fall  into  a  temptation  and  a  snare  and  many  fool- 
ish and  hurtful  lusts,  such  as  drown  men  in  de- 
struction and  perdition."  Money  assures  power 
and  endows  its  possessor  with  gilded  prestige. 
Great  possessions  put  into  the  hands  of  their  own- 
ers both  weapons  of  defense  and  offense.  The  rich 
are  a  law  unto  themselves.  It  is  commonly  be- 
lieved that  money  can  buy  anything.  A  multi- 
millionaire, in  an  article  published  some  years  ago 
by  a  popular  American  monthly,  wrote  as  follows : 
"  We  have  only  to  think  of  what  we  want  to  get 
it.  After  a  bit  we  begin  to  wonder  why  we  do 
not  get  as  much  pleasure  out  of  things  we  wanted 
as  we  thought  we  should  before  we  had  them." 

Unquestionably,  there  is  a  point  above  which 
the  accumulation  of  property  and  the  piling  up 
of  wealth  becomes  a  source  of  perplexity  and  pro- 
ductive of  evil.  The  book  lover  may  have  too 
many  books;  the  farmer  too  many  acres  of  land; 
the  capitalist  too  big  a  fortune;  the  preacher  too 


88      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


large  a  church.  There  is  a  "  Great  Divide  "  in 
the  matter  of  accumulating  anything  beyond  which 
accretion  only  adds  burden  and  anxiety.  And 
there  is,  likewise,  a  definite  period  in  loss  and  de- 
pletion below  which  too  little  is  as  perilous  to  life 
at  its  best  as  the  opposite  experience  of  too  much. 
Agur  recognized  the  hazard  of  the  two  extremes. 
He  feared  that  riches  would  pufif  him  up  with 
pride  and  make  him  a  doubter  and  lead  him  to 
ask,  Who  is  the  Lord?  Likewise,  he  was  afraid 
of  abject  poverty  lest  it  would  make  him  a  thief 
and  a  blasphemer  of  Almighty  God.  Therefore, 
he  prayed  for  the  Middle  Estate. 

The  Middle  Estate — neither  poverty  nor  riches. 
Direst  poverty  and  exuberant  opulence, — how 
vivid  the  contrast  of  the  two  extremes !  The  Sub- 
merged Tenth  and  the  Upper  Ten;  Fifth  Avenue 
and  Five  Points;  London's  West  End  and  Lon- 
don's East  End;  Silk  Stocking  Row  and  Poverty 
Flats;  the  perilously  thin  crust  and  the  lower  layer 
trembling  with  impending  eruption!  However, 
the  connection  between  these  two  extremes  is  much 
closer  than  we  are  prone  to  believe. 

When  the  top  of  our  social  structure  trembles 
with  some  new  experience  of  luxury,  simultane- 
ously the  bottom  quivers  in  pain.  When  the  ill- 
fated  Lusifania  made  her  first  trip  across  the  At- 
lantic much  publicity  was  given  to  the  luxury  of 
her  apartments  and  her  speed  was  a  ten  days' 
marvel.    But  the  newspapers  did  not  announce 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


89 


at  the  time  that  the  Lusitania's  turbine  engines, 
in  order  to  justify  her  speed,  were  requiring  such 
terrific  heat  in  the  furnaces  that  the  stokers  were 
frequently  overcome  and  resuscitated  only  with 
difficulty. 

Halfway  between  these  two  extremes  is  the 
Middle  Estate,  knowing  neither  abject  poverty  nor 
great  riches.  In  this  country  we  call  that  large 
section  of  the  people  who  are  neither  very  poor 
nor  very  rich  the  "middle  class."  In  some  parts 
of  Europe  this  class  is  called  the  "  gentry."  In 
other  parts  the  "  burghers."  A  still  better  term 
for  this  most  fortunate  stratum  of  society  is  the 
substantial  phrase  "the  middle  estate."  And  it 
is  the  middle  estate  that  has  thus  far  been  the 
bulwark  of  civilization;  with  rare  exception  it  is 
from  the  middle  estate  that  our  most  successful 
leaders  and  our  most  efficient  workers  have  come. 
Sickness,  disease,  and  inefficiency  strike  down 
tens  of  thousands  of  poverty  stricken;  idleness, 
extravagance  and  excesses  sap  the  strength  and 
waste  the  vitality  of  the  over-rich. 

How  beneficent  the  issue  if  only  a  balance 
could  be  struck  between  the  antipodes  of  society 
as  now  organized!  If  only  those  high  up  would 
come  down,  and  those  far  below  could  climb  up, 
to  meet  and  mingle  midway;  if  the  full-blooded 
and  vigorous  but  imparted  their  overplus  to  the 
anaemic  and  wasted;  if  those  of  abundant  leisure 
but  shared  it  with  those  to  whom  vacations  never 


90      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


come;  if  this  "  give  and  take  "  of  life  should  come 
to  pass,  how  beatific  the  sequence! 

The  abundant  life  is  best  attained  where  pov- 
erty cannot  pinch  nor  wealth  enervate.  Thus 
Princess  Stephanie  of  the  unfortunate  House  of 
Hapsburgh  writes  in  her  memoirs :  "  Happiness 
depends  on  living  naturally,  and  what  increases 
our  distance  from  nature  decreases  our  happi- 
ness." 

Once,  when  asked  to  act  as  arbiter  in  an  in- 
heritance case,  Jesus  replied :  "  A  man's  life  con- 
sisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of  the  things  which 
he  possesseth."  Thus  a  distinguished  New  York 
minister  was  accustomed  to  linger  before  the  win- 
dow displays  of  the  metropolis  during  the  gala 
holiday  season  in  order  to  observe  "  how  many 
things  he  could  do  without." 

The  class  most  susceptible  to  spiritual  truth  is 
the  middle  estate.  The  very  poor  and  the  very 
rich  are  the  hardest  to  interest  in  religion,  and 
this  is  true  for  various  reasons.  The  very  poor, 
because  of  their  penury  and  want,  question  the 
existence  of  God  and  if  He  does  exist  they  wonder 
if  He  knows  and  cares.  Moreover,  it  is  quite  im- 
possible to  interest  people  in  the  spiritual  when 
the  physical  conditions  in  which  they  are  com- 
pelled to  live  are  intolerable.  It  is  difficult  to  in- 
terest a  man  in  the  Bread  of  Life  when  his  stomach 
is  fairly  famished  for  a  biscuit.  It  is  not  easy  to 
talk  to  a  woman  about  the  Water  of  Life  when 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE  91 


the  water  she  must  perforce  drink  daily  is  filthy 
and  foul.  The  Divine  order  is:  first,  that  which 
is  natural,  and  then  that  which  is  spiritual.  As 
for  the  very  rich,  their  temptation  is  to  put  their 
trust  in  gold,  to  believe  in  bonds  and  stocks,  to  put 
their  faith  in  lands  and  skyscrapers.  In  the 
midst  of  such  plenitude  God  seems  unnecessary 
and  a  trifling  embarrassing.  Indifiference  to  the 
spiritual  under  such  luxurious  conditions  is  easy; 
the  call  of  the  motor,  of  the  yacht,  of  the  ocean 
liner,  of  the  golf  links,  is  ringing  ever  in  their 
ears. 

"  Grown  mad  in  the  race  for  gold, 

They  are  drunk  with  the  wine  of  gain; 
The  truths  their  fathers  proclaimed  of  old 
Are  spurned  with  a  high  disdain." 

There  are  notable  exceptions  to  this  rule,  both 
at  the  top  and  the  bottom  of  society;  there  are 
persons  of  singularly  pure  and  devout  lives  among 
the  very  rich,  and  there  are  saints  of  rare  and 
lovely  characters  among  the  penniless.  But  such 
exceptions  only  accentuate  the  inhospitality  of  ex- 
treme poverty  and  excessive  riches  to  spiritual 
things. 

Abject  poverty  and  abounding  wealth;  the  very 
poor  and  the  very  rich ; — how  shall  we  account  for 
such  inequalities,  such  disparities,  such  extremes? 
Explanations  are  numerous  and  the  causes  given 
are  many  and  diverse. 

Time  was  when  many  planted  the  issue  squarely 


92      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


with  God.  They  said :  "  It  is  God's  will  that 
some  be  poor  and  others  be  rich.  It  is  not  society's 
fault,  it  is  God's  decree."  Not  very  many  hold  to 
such  a  view  today.  Such  a  belief  is  a  gruesome 
travesty  upon  the  interpretation  of  God  that  Jesus 
Christ  brought  the  world.  Not  only  so,  but  God 
in  nature  repudiates  so  hideous  a  theology. 

"  The  dew,  the  rain  and  moonlight, 
All  prove  our  Father's  mind. 
The  dew,  the  rain  and  moonlight 
Descend  to  bless  mankind." 

Others  have  explained  these  extremes  by  affirm- 
ing it  to  be  a  question  of  sheer  personality,  of 
pluck,  of  persistence.  The  difference  between  men, 
they  tell  us,  is  the  difiference  in  will  power,  in  am- 
bition, in  initiative,  in  industry.  This  view  also 
leaves  the  issue  with  the  Creator,  though  not  so 
candidly  and  directly  as  the  first. 

Another  group  assures  us  that  the  trouble  has 
its  source  in  the  mind.  Some  are  poor  because 
they  think  poverty;  others  are  rich  because  they 
think  riches.  Imperial  thinking  is  good,  but  it 
has  its  limitations.  If  thinking  riches  would  bring 
riches  then  everybody  would  be  rich,  for  who  of 
us  has  not  longed  for  riches,  and  who  does  not 
abhor  abject  poverty? 

Still  others  hold  that  the  fundamental  cause  of 
poverty  is  land  monopoly,  and  that  as  free  access 
to  the  soil  is  deprived,  poverty  increases.  This 
answer  cuts  deep  and  it  is  encouraging  to  know 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE  93 


that  an  increasing  number  of  thoughtful  persons 
are  studying  with  profit  the  principles  of  the  Single 
Tax. 

But  whatever  the  reason  or  the  cause,  these  in- 
equalities are  here.  They  have  been  here  a  long 
time,  but  that  is  no  reason  that  they  are  here  to 
stay.  Many  centuries  ago  Agur  observed  the  per- 
nicious evils  of  these  extremes  and  thus  observing, 
offered  his  altogether  out-of-the-ordinary  prayer: 
"  Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches."  What  will 
bring  about  the  meeting  and  the  merging  of  these 
two  extremes?  What  forces  may  be  confidently 
expected  to  work  out  the  solution  of  this  vexa- 
tious condition  of  society? 

The  state,  the  school,  the  home,  the  church, 
must  work  it  out  together.  At  present  all  these 
forces  are  working,  but  not  always  togfether.  Some 
are  pulling  one  way  and  some  another;  but  it  is 
good  to  believe  that  underneath  the  apparent  cross- 
currents there  moves  steadily  but  surely  on  toward 
the  great  ocean  of  human  brotherhood  and  equal 
opportunity,  a  tide  too  full  for  sound  or  foam. 

One  thing  is  reasonably  certain — outside  forces 
alone  can  never  bring  about  the  meeting  of  these 
extremes.  Outside  agencies  however  potent,  can- 
not of  themselves  bring  about  the  amelioration  of 
woes  caused  by  wealth  and  want.  Given  every  op- 
portunity to  realize  life,  health,  and  the  pursuit  of 
happiness,  in  a  state  free  from  the  blight  of  penury 
and  the  peril  of  great  riches,  mankind,  unregen- 


94.      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


erated  by  cleansing  of  the  spiritual  forces  within, 
would  fail  tragically.  For  a  single  overwhelming 
illustration,  read  the  history  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution. Sociologists,  economists,  statesmen,  re- 
formers, must  remember  to  reckon  with  God,  else 
their  calculations  will  fail.  Worldliness  is  some- 
thing far  more  serious  than  indulgences  in  popular 
amusements;  worldliness  is  a  view  of  life  without 
reckoning  in  the  spiritual.  Just  here  comes  the 
great  function  of  the  church  as  an  inspirer  and 
the  renewer  of  the  spirit  of  God  in  man.  Man, 
working  through  state  and  school,  may  fashion  the 
body  that  is  to  bring  about  a  more  glorious  and 
equitable  social  order;  but  it  is  religion  that  must 
breathe  into  that  body  the  Spirit  of  Life.  Men 
and  women  must  be  born  from  above  before  they 
can  do  their  mightiest  work  here  below;  they 
must  be  impelled  from  within  before  they  can  be 
compelled  from  without. 

It  will  not  do  for  us  to  depend  altogether  upon 
law,  upon  statutes,  or  ordinances.  If  we  expect 
laws  to  accomplish  miracles  we  shall  be  disap- 
pointed. Like  the  Sabbath,  laws  are  made  for 
man,  not  man  for  laws.  See  to  it  that  the  inside 
of  the  cup  is  clean;  cleanse  the  platter  perfectly 
inside  and  out  and  all  around.  Enact  wise  and 
equable  laws  and  alongside  of  such  enactment  let 
religion  do  her  perfect  work  with  man's  inner  life. 

In  the  mighty  anti-saloon  movement  now  sweep- 
ing in  triumphal  march  over  the  land,  there  lurks 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


95 


a  most  subtle  danger  unless  there  shall  be  a  cor- 
respondent movement  in  behalf  of  self-control,  of 
clean  and  wholesome  thinking,  and  of  noble  reso- 
lution on  the  part  of  the  individual.  Truism  that 
it  is,  let  it  be  said  again  and  again  that  laws  can 
help  to  make  us  good,  but  laws  alone  cannot  re- 
deem society.  Temperance  is  the  keystone  of  life; 
in  all  things  not  inherently  wrong  temperance  is 
greater  than  abstinence;  and  when  abstinence  and 
indulgence  meet  and  merge,  temperance  is  the 
issue.  Nevertheless,  in  society  as  it  is  now  or- 
ganized, abstinence  must  often  replace  temper- 
ance in  order  that  the  strong  may  bear  the  burdens 
of  the  weak. 

"  Neither  poverty  nor  riches," — the  Middle  Es- 
tate. Will  these  extremes  ever  meet?  If  wealth 
and  want  should  wed  what  sort  of  a  family  would 
they  rear?  If  riches  and  poverty  should  marry 
what  would  be  the  character  of  their  children? 
If  the  House  of  Too  Little  and  the  House  of  Too 
Much  should  form  a  partnership  could  the  new 
firm  be  called  The  House  of  Enough  and  To 
Spare?  Is  it  only  a  dream  that  poverty — abject, 
pitiful  poverty,  and  riches — excessive  and  lavish, 
shall  some  day  merge  into  a  middle  estate?  And, 
if  abject  poverty  and  excessive  wealth  should  cease 
to  be  would  humanity's  struggles  end?  Undoubt- 
edly not,  for  man  was  made  to  struggle;  but  his 
struggles  then  could  be  for  a  higher  goal.  The 
game  would  be  different  and  the  struggles  not  in 


96      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


vain.  Life  would  be  more  normal,  more  natural; 
consequently  happier,  holier.  No  nation  half  roll- 
ing in  wealth  and  half  pinched  by  direst  poverty 
can  long  endure.  If  it  is  a  disgrace  for  a  man  to 
die  rich,  as  one  of  America's  multi-millionaires 
has  said,  then  it  is  society's  disgrace  that  any  man 
or  woman  die  poor. 

"  Yea,  we  would  give  to  each  poor  man 
Ripe  wheat  and  poppies  red, — 
A  peaceful  place  at  evening 
With  the  stars  just  overhead. 

"  A  net  to  snare  the  moonlight, 
A  sod  spread  to  the  sun, 
A  place  of  toil  by  daytime 
Of  dreams  when  toil  is  done." 

From  Agur's  prayer  to  Jesus'  programme  for 
the  Kingdom  of  God  is  a  mighty  stretch,  a  thou- 
sand years  perhaps  in  time — in  spirit  a  greater  dis- 
tance still.  Agur  prayed  that  he  might  be  saved 
from  either  poverty  or  riches;  Jesus  announced  a 
kingdom  that  would  usher  in  a  reign  of  brotherli- 
ness  for  all  the  world.  Agur  prayed :  "  Give  me 
neither  poverty  nor  riches."  Jesus  prayed : 
"  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be 
Thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done 
in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  Agur's  prayer  was 
individualistic;  Jesus'  socialistic. 

There  is  but  one  approach  to  the  social  question 
and  that  is  the  spirit  of  Him  who  would  not  break 
the  bruised  reed  nor  quench  the  smoking  flax. 


THE  MIDDLE  ESTATE 


97 


Calling  down  maledictions  on  the  rich  because  they 
are  rich,  and  berating  the  poor  because  they  are 
poor,  is  both  foolish  and  futile.  The  winsomest 
personaHties  in  all  the  world  are  those  like  Abou 
Ben  Adhem,  who  love  their  fellowmen  and  love 
them,  too,  regardless  of  their  lot,  their  ancestry, 
their  character,  or  their  creed.  It  is  this  fine 
quality  that  makes  Dr.  V.  Vivian,  hero  of  "  V. 
V.'s  Eyes,"  so  irresistible.  Behold  "  V.  V."  of 
the  farseeing  eyes,  quaint  Doctor  of  the  Dabney 
House  district;  behold  him  addressing  the  mass 
meeting  assembled  to  consider  the  needs  of  the 
poor,  and  listen  to  the  music  of  his  Saviour-like 
speech : 

"  The  things  in  which  we  are  all  alike  are  so 
much  bigger  than  the  things  in  which  we  are 
different.  What's  rich  and  poor  to  a  common 
beginning  and  a  common  end,  common  sufferings, 
common  dreams  ?  We  look  at  these  big  freeholds, 
and  money  in  banks  is  a  little  thing.  On  Wash- 
ington Street  and  down  behind  the  Dabney  House, 
— don't  we  each  alike  seek  the  same  thing?  We 
want  life,  and  more  life.  We  want  to  be  happy, 
and  we  want  to  be  free.  Well — we  know  it's  hard 
to  win  these  prizes  when  we're  poor,  but  is  it  so 
easy  when  we're  rich  ?  To  live  shut  off  on  a  little 
island,  calling  the  rest  common  and  unclean — is 
that  being  happy  and  free,  is  it  having  life  abun- 
dantly? I  look  around  and  don't  find  it  so.  And 
that's  sad,  isn't  it? — double  frustation,  the  poor 


98      THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


disinherited  by  their  poverty,  the  rich  in  their 
riches.  Don't  you  think  we  shall  find  a  common 
meeting  place  some  day,  where  these  two  will 
cancel  out? — when  reality  will  touch  hands  with 
the  poet's  ideal: 

"  And  the  stranger  hath  seen  in  the  stranger 
His  brother  at  last, 
And  his  sister  in  eyes  that  were  strange." 

IMPARTIAL  FATHER  OF  US  ALL,  SENDER  OF  SUN 
AND  RAIN  ALIKE  ON  JUST  AND  UNJUST,  WE  LONG 
TO  LOVE  LIKE  THEE.  NEITHER  FOR  POVERTY  NOR 
RICHES  DO  WE  PRAY  "  BUT  TO  DO  JUSTLY,  TO  LOVE 
MERCY,  AND  TO  WALK  HUMBLY  "  WITH  THEE  ALL 
THE  DAYS  OF  OUR  LIVES  EVEN  AS  WE  HAVE 
LEARNED  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


VII 

PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY 


"  Unfinished !  'tis  an  echo  still 

That  haunts  us  at  our  daily  task; 
Sometimes  we  do  not  know  God's  will, 
Sometimes  we  do  not  dare  to  ask. 

"  Mayhap,  what  seems  so  incomplete 
Is  finished  in  the  thought  divine, 
While  self-wrought  work  laid  at  His  feet, 
Is  but  an  ill-begun  design. 

"  There  is  no  '  broken  hour  '  to  God, 
No  '  interruption  '  in  His  plan, 
And  if  we  take  the  path  He  trod 
We  find  revealed  His  will  for  man." 

Helen  F.  Boyden. 


VII 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY 


"Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters;  for  thou  shalt 
find  it  after  many  days." — Eccleslates  li:i. 

IHE  Book  of  Ecclesiastes  belongs  to  that 


portion  of  the  Bible  known  as  the  Wisdom 


Literature.  To  the  same  portion  belong 
also  the  Books  of  Job  and  Proverbs,  Evidently, 
the  purpose  of  Ecclesiastes  is  to  narrate  the  ex- 
perience of  a  man  who  set  out  to  find  happiness. 
The  book  has  in  it  a  strain  of  pessimism.  The 
author  tries  knowledge  and  finds  it  vain;  he  ex- 
periments with  pleasures  and  discovers  them  to  be 
empty ;  he  pursues  the  novel  only  to  find  that  there 
is  nothing  new  under  the  sun;  he  accumulates 
riches  and  confesses  that  they  are  but  a  bauble. 
In  the  end,  however,  the  author  sums  up  his  expe- 
riences with  the  sensible  advice  that  "  to  fear  God 
and  keep  His  commandments  is  the  whole  duty  or 
happiness  of  man." 

Scattered  throughout  the  Book  of  Ecclesiastes 
are  some  wholesome  sentiments  and  sprightly 
epigrams.  For  example :  "  A  good  name  is  better 
than  precious  ointment."  "  Whatsoever  thy  hand 
find  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might."  "  Remember 
also  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth,  before 


101 


102    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  evil  days  come  and  the  years  draw  nigh  when 
thou  shalt  say,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  them."  "  It 
is  better  to  go  to  the  house  of  mourning  than  to 
the  house  of  feasting."  "  The  race  is  not  to  the 
swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong."  But  of  all  the 
epigrams  in  Ecclesiastes  there  is  none  more  inter- 
esting, nor  more  striking,  than  the  first  verse  of 
the  eleventh  chapter — "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the 
waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

Two  explanations  of  this  curious  expression 
have  been  made.  Some  have  thought  that  there 
is  in  this  verse  an  allusion  to  the  sowing  of  rice 
or  other  grain  from  a  boat  during  the  inundation 
of  certain  Eastern  rivers,  especially  the  Nile. 
Sown  thus  on  the  surface  of  the  water  the  grain 
sinks  to  the  bottom  and  there  finds  a  resting  place 
in  the  silt  and  rich  alluvium  where,  after  the 
waters  have  receded,  is  brought  forth,  by-and- 
bye,  abundant  harvest. 

This  explanation  is  interesting,  but  the  other 
one  is  also,  and  much  more  likely  to  be  correct. 
In  the  East  bread  is  commonly  made  in  thin,  flat 
cakes  and  these  thrown  out  upon  the  stream  would 
float  for  a  while,  then  sink,  and  unlike  the  grain 
would  yield  no  return.  To  throw  bread  away, 
especially  in  the  far  East,  is  an  extravagance.  So 
apparently,  are  many  of  the  services  we  render  to 
others.  We  should  do  good,  hoping  for  nothing 
in  return.  As  foolish  as  throwing  precious  bread 
upon  the  water  some  ministrations  may  seem  to 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  103 


be;  and  the  teaching  of  this  text  is  to  persevere 
in  such  ministrations  despite  the  hopelessness  of 
any  recompense,  for  sometime  there  will  be,  nay, 
more  there  shall  be,  reward  for  every  sincere 
benefactor.  I  fancy  this  is  the  meaning  of  the 
metaphor:  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters;  for 
thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days."  Investigation 
of  the  teaching  of  this  text  in  human  affairs  will 
lead  us  into  a  realm  where  truth  is  stranger  than 
fiction. 

Whosoever  follows  out  this  teaching  is  a  prodi- 
gal, yet  praiseworthily  so,  a  blessed  spendthrift; 
and  the  apparent  wastefulness  of  his  ministrations 
is  in  reality  the  soundest  spiritual  economy. 
Hearken  unto  the  glory  of  such  prodigality  in 
humanity's  behalf. 

Years  ago  a  certain  Methodist  bishop,  now 
famous,  was  the  successful  pastor  of  a  large 
church.  In  the  midst  of  his  busy  ministry  he  found 
himself  unable  to  decide  on  any  theme  for  his 
Sunday  morning  sermon.  It  was  a  busy  week 
with  him,  the  days  passed  swiftly,  and  he  came  up 
to  Friday  with  no  morning  theme  selected.  Late 
Friday  evening  he  sat  down  amongst  his  books, 
leaving  word  that  he  should  not  be  disturbed.  He 
had  just  selected  his  theme  and  was  well  into  the 
preparation  of  a  sermon  when  there  was  a  knock 
at  his  study  door  and  a  most  urgent  request  that 
he  visit  a  sick  man  who  could  not  possibly  live 
through  the  night.    The  minister  hesitated  for  a 


104    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


single  moment.  By  hard  work  and  painstaking 
preparation  he  had  estabhshed  a  pulpit  reputation 
and  the  thought  of  a  possible  failure  on  Sunday 
morning  disturbed  his  mind.  "  I  must  have  a  ser- 
mon," he  reasoned,  "  Hundreds  will  be  waiting 
for  a  sermon.  Better  disappoint  one  man  than 
hundreds."  The  minister  hesitated  no  longer, 
turned  away  from  his  inviting  books,  left  the  un- 
finished manuscript,  and  went  out  in  the  night  to 
the  side  of  the  dying  man.  And  there  at  his  bed- 
side occurred  a  most  moving  incident  which  be- 
came the  inspiration  of  the  sermon  of  the  next 
Sunday  morning;  a  sermon,  too,  that  carried  that 
minister's  name  throughout  the  English-speaking 
world.  "Cast  thy  bread  upon  the  waters;  for 
thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

When  Lord  Beresford,  long  an  admiral  in  the 
British  navy  and  a  most  popular  officer,  was  one 
time  in  the  North  Sea  with  his  fleet,  a  sailor  fell 
overboard  from  the  flagship.  Lord  Beresford 
caught  up  a  rope,  gave  one  end  of  it  to  a  sailor, 
and  with  the  other  end  leaped  overboard  amid  the 
ice  floes  and  saved  the  drowning  man.  At  the  time 
the  incident  was  commented  upon  in  some  quar- 
ters as  foolhardy  and  unnecessary.  Time  passed 
on;  Lord  Beresford  had  ambitions  to  occupy  a 
seat  in  Parliament.  He  stood  for  office  and  the 
opposition  against  him  was  considerable.  One 
night  he  was  speaking  in  Manchester  to  a  vast 
audience  which  was  against  him  five  to  one.  While 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  105 


he  was  speaking  there  was  a  commotion  in  the 
rear  of  the  room  caused  by  a  man  attempting  to 
push  his  way  to  the  front.  The  police  stopped 
the  man  and  were  about  to  eject  him  from  the 
building  when  Lord  Beresford,  in  a  spirit  of  ut- 
most good  humour,  said :  "  If  the  man  wants  to 
speak  let  him  come  up  here  and  say  what  he  has 
to  say  from  this  platform."  The  man  came  to 
the  platform,  and  turning  to  the  audience  he  ex- 
plained :  "  I  came  here  because  Admiral  Beres- 
ford risked  his  hfe  to  save  mine  in  the  North  Sea. 
I  owe  my  life  to  him.  I  am  not  an  orator,  but  I 
want  to  say  that  here  is  a  man  whom  the  voters 
of  this  district  can  trust  as  a  brother."  The 
speech  was  received  with  shouts  of  approval  and 
it  saved  the  day  for  Admiral  Beresford.  He  car- 
ried the  district  by  a  vote  unprecedentedly  large  in 
the  politics  of  England.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon 
the  waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

Lyman  Beecher  went  once  to  preach  to  a  country 
congregation  on  a  stormy  Sunday.  Just  one  per- 
son was  present  at  the  service  and  Lyman  Beecher 
had  brought  one  of  his  strongest  sermons, — one 
that  multitudes  had  listened  to  with  delight  and 
profit.  What  would  the  average  minister  do  under 
the  same  circumstances?  I  know  of  a  parallel 
case  in  the  South.  A  minister  was  announced  to 
preach  at  a  country  church  upon  a  certain  Sunday 
evening.  A  heavy  rainstorm  swept  the  community 
just  about  church  time.   The  minister  and  his  host 


106    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


were  the  only  ones  present.  They  laughed  and 
joked  about  the  situation  and  the  minister's  host 
said  to  him :  "  Well,  shall  you  preach  or  shall  I 
preach?"  The  minister  did  not  preach  his  ser- 
mon and  later  he  went  back  home  with  his  host, 
who,  by  the  way,  was  not  a  Christian.  Lyman 
Beecher  preached  his  sermon  to  his  one  auditor 
and  he  preached  it,  so  we  are  told,  as  carefully  and 
earnestly  as  though  hundreds  were  present.  And 
surely  it  was  worth  while,  for  the  young  man  be- 
came a  convert  to  Christianity,  went  into  the 
ministry,  and  wielded  a  great  power  for  good. 
And  the  turning  point  in  his  career  was  the  ser- 
mon Lyman  Beecher  preached  to  him  on  that 
stormy  Sunday.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the 
waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

Some  years  ago  a  minister  was  called  upon  to 
offer  a  prayer  at  a  burial  in  a  little  country  ceme- 
tery. The  day  was  wet  and  cold  and  he  was  a 
total  stranger  to  the  people  who  had  asked  for  his 
services.  It  was  a  dreary,  unfeeling  burial.  The 
doors  of  two  of  the  carriages  were  opened  during 
the  prayer,  but  none  of  the  occupants  got  out  in 
the  driving  rain.  Nobody  spoke  to  the  minister, 
nobody  thanked  him  for  losing  a  day  from  his 
books  and  his  parish  duties;  nobody  showed  any 
grief  for  the  dead,  nor  any  courtesy  to  the  living. 
Six  years  passed  and  the  minister  had  quite  for- 
gotten the  incident  when  a  letter  came  to  him 
from  a  college  student  whose  name  the  min- 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  107 


ister  had  never  heard.  As  a  boy  of  sixteen,  the 
young  man  said,  he  had  attended  the  funeral  of 
a  great-aunt.  He  told  how  greatly  the  dark  lead- 
ened sky,  the  driving  of  the  rain  on  the  carriage 
windows  and  the  jolting  of  the  slowly  mov- 
ing vehicle  had  depressed  him.  Moreover,  under 
their  heavy  mourning  veils  the  relatives  had  dis- 
cussed the  probable  disposition  of  their  aunt's 
property  and  the  sordidness  of  it  all  had  affected 
the  boy's  sensitive  nature.  "  Ours  had  never  been 
a  religious  family,"  the  letter  went  on,  "  and  this 
was  my  first  contact  with  the  serious  side  of  life. 
I  don't  think  I  heard  a  dozen  words  of  the  prayer, 
but  for  days  I  could  see  you  just  as  you  stood 
there,  bare-headed  in  the  pouring  rain.  I  supposed 
at  first  that  you  were  paid  for  the  service  and 
when  I  learned  from  a  light  remark  on  the  way 
back  that  you  weren't,  I  wondered  why  you  came. 
I  couldn't  understand  why  a  man  should  do  what 
brought  him  neither  pleasure  nor  profit — why  he 
should  do  it  for  total  strangers.  By  degrees  I 
came  to  see  that  the  kind  of  life  I  was  most 
familiar  with  went  to  pieces  when  misfortune  or 
death  came.  Father  was  always  nervous  and  rest- 
less for  days  after  any  of  the  men  in  his  business 
circle  died;  and  then  I'd  think  of  you,  standing 
so  calm  and  quiet  out  there  in  the  rain  praying, 
not  because  you  were  paid  for  doing  it,  but  be- 
cause you  believed  in  prayer.  That  seemed  to 
point  to  something  higher,  and  I  began  reading 


108    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  New  Testament  to  find  the  next  step.  Father 
was  angry  when  I  joined  the  church  and  decided 
for  the  ministry.  He  had  other  plans  for  me, 
but  I  couldn't  see  my  duty  anywhere  except  in  the 
church;  so  here  I  am  working  my  way  through 
college.  I  have  written  this  to  tell  you  where  the 
good  impulse  started — a  place  where  you  might 
think  there  was  the  least  chance  of  exerting  any 
influence  at  all."  Verily,  it  is  true — "  Cast  thy 
bread  upon  the  waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after 
many  days." 

A  well-known  citizen  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
was  on  his  way  one  morning  to  attend  Sunday 
School  in  a  downtown  church.  As  he  neared  the 
church  he  met  a  little  newsboy  who  was  sobbing 
as  though  his  heart  would  break.  The  man 
stopped  the  boy  and  asked  him  what  was  the 
trouble.  The  little  fellow  explained  between  sobs 
that  another  newsboy  had  taken  his  pennies, 
twenty-six  in  number.  The  man  gave  the  boy  a 
quarter  and  as  the  money  went  into  the  little  fel- 
low's pocket  the  tears  ceased  to  flow.  "  Say,  mis- 
ter," he  said,  "  ain't  you  the  man  that  stays  in  the 
wallpaper  store  on  Third  Street  ?  "  The  gentle- 
man said  that  he  was.  "  Well,  sir,"  the  lad  con- 
tinued, "  I  would  like  to  bring  you  a  paper  every 
day  until  I  pay  you  back  this  money."  "  All 
right,"  agreed  the  man  who  was  the  head  of  a 
leading  wallpaper  concern  in  the  city.  Then  he 
added,  "  Do  you  go  to  Sunday  School  anywhere  ?  " 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  109 


Upon  the  little  fellow  answering  in  the  negative, 
the  business  man  obtained  a  promise  from  him 
to  be  at  that  corner  at  five  minutes  before  nine 
on  the  next  Sunday  morning  and  he  would  take 
him  to  his  Sunday  School.  The  next  Sunday 
morning  at  the  appointed  hour  the  lad  was  there. 
He  was  taken  to  Sunday  School,  enrolled  in  a  class, 
and  the  teacher  asked  to  take  an  especial  interest 
in  him.  The  papers  were  faithfully  delivered  until 
the  debt  was  paid.  Then  the  boy  asked  the  man 
to  become  a  regular  customer.  The  business  man 
was  so  impressed  by  the  bright  little  chap  who 
wanted  to  do  the  right  thing  that  he  secured  him 
a  position  in  one  of  the  mercantile  houses  of  Louis- 
ville. Time  passed  on  and  the  boy  continued  to 
do  well;  then,  after  a  few  years,  he  disappeared 
and  his  benefactor  quite  forgot  the  incident.  Sev- 
eral years  later  a  well-dressed,  manly,  and  unusu- 
ally prepossessing  young  man  presented  himself 
in  this  same  man's  office.  "  You  don't  know  me," 
he  said.  The  merchant  looked  the  stranger  over 
and  acknowledged  that  he  did  not  remember  him. 
Then  the  young  man  spoke:  "  Well,  sir,  I  am  the 
little  newsboy  whom  you  helped  and  started  to 
Sunday  School  nine  years  ago.  I  live  in  St.  Louis 
now;  I  am  receiving  a  salary  of  three  thousand 
dollars  a  year;  I  am  happily  married;  and,  sir,  I 
want  you  to  know  that  I  still  go  to  Sunday 
School." 

A  church  at  Madisonville,  Ohio,  a  dozen  years 


110    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


ago  was  discouraged  and  pastorless,  meeting  in  a 
very  small,  rickety  frame  building  which  had  been 
erected  as  a  sort  of  make-shift  tabernacle.  The 
site  was  not  a  good  one.  For  some  months  the 
Cincinnati  ministers  preached  there  on  Sunday 
afternoons  without  any  financial  compensation.  It 
was  either  that  or  let  the  church  go  down.  About 
this  time  one  of  the  bright  young  girls  of  the 
community — then  in  high  school — made  up  her 
mind  to  become  a  Christian.  Her  mother  and 
grandmother  were  members  of  the  little  mission 
church;  her  decision  was  reached  by  the  help  of 
the  preaching  that  she  heard  there,  and  by  the 
religious  training  she  had  received  from  her 
mother  and  her  grandmother  in  their  home.  But 
she  had  an  unusually  great  question  before  her  as 
to  the  matter  of  church  membership.  She  was 
a  very  attractive  young  woman,  an  accom- 
plished musician,  a  charming  reader  and  enter- 
tainer, much  sought  socially.  Her  companions, 
classmates,  and  social  friends,  were  all  members 
or  attendants  at  the  big  popular  church.  There 
was  no  society  in  the  little  mission  for  her.  She 
was  given  definitely  to  understand  that  she  would 
lose  caste  in  society  unless  she  went  into  the  same 
church  with  all  her  young  friends;  that  if  she 
went  into  the  little  mission  there  was  nothing  there 
for  her  and  that  socially  she  would  stand  alone. 
This  was  not  meant  as,  nor  received  as,  persecu- 
tion, but  as  a  simple  statement  of  conditions.  It 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  111 


required  real  moral  heroism  for  the  young  woman 
to  cast  her  lot  with  that  little  mission  church  and 
give  up  a  really  enviable  position  in  the  society  of 
a  large  and  popular  congregation.  But  that  is 
exactly  what  she  did.  She  confessed  her  faith 
and  cast  her  lot  with  the  little  struggling  mission. 
Her  decision  marked  an  epoch  and  was,  indeed, 
the  turning  point  in  the  history  of  the  mission. 
The  young  woman  went  to  work  in  church  and 
Sunday  School,  laying  her  talents  on  the  altar  of 
God's  service.  She  drilled  the  children  and  called 
for  help.  She  called  for  more  children  and  she 
called  for  more  help.  She  was  regular  and  faith- 
ful in  attendance  at  all  services,  prompt  in  the  per- 
formance of  all  tasks.  Gradually  there  grew  up 
about  her  from  unseen  and  unexpected  sources  a 
delightful  society,  the  church  took  on  new  life, 
it  grew  by  leaps  and  bounds.  The  little  old  frame 
building  is  now  a  print-shop,  the  congregation 
meets  in  a  substantial,  modern,  commodious,  beau- 
tiful brick  building  on  a  splendid  site  just  across 
from  two  schools — the  grade  school  and  the  high 
school.  Some  two  thousand  school  children  see 
this  church  building  daily  and  it  is  worth  looking 
at,  for  it  is  a  monument  to  the  moral  courage  of 
a  high  school  girl.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon  the 
waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 

The  other  day  I  conversed  with  a  great  old  man 
who  had  been  a  school  teacher  for  upwards  of 
forty  years.    He  was  in  a  reminiscent  mood  and 


112    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


he  told  me  of  the  discouragements  he  had  encoun- 
tered in  the  course  of  his  career  as  a  teacher.  He 
sketched,  in  particular,  the  character  of  two  pupils 
who  were  bright  but  incorrigible  and  gave  him  no 
end  of  trouble.  "  I  bore  with  those  two  boys," 
he  explained,  "  with  all  the  patience  I  possessed. 
I  ignored  their  slights,  overlooked  their  indiffer- 
ence, affected  not  to  notice  their  insolence,  and 
all  the  time  I  strove  to  make  men  of  them.  I 
thought  I  had  failed;  so  far  as  I  could  see  my 
interest  in  their  behalf  was  all  in  vain.  But  within 
the  past  year  I  have  had  a  visit  from  those  two 
boys,  now  middle-aged  men.  They  reside  in  the 
Middle  West,  one  a  circuit  judge,  the  other  a  suc- 
cessful ranchman  noted  for  his  benefactions;  and, 
sir,  those  two  men  travelled  fifteen  hundred  miles 
to  tell  me  that  they  owed  their  success  largely  to 
my  kindness  and  patience  as  their  teacher  thirty 
years  ago.  They  urged  me  to  take  a  trip  West 
at  their  expense  which  was  fine,  but  my  reward 
for  what  was  apparently  unappreciated  service 
was  greater  than  any  three  thousand  mile  trip  as 
I  heard  from  their  willing  lips  the  fruitage  of  my 
work  as  a  teacher  three  decades  ago."  And  as 
the  old  gentleman  told  me  this  his  face  shone 
like  the  face  of  an  angel  and  his  eyes  were  moist 
with  tears.  He  had  cast  his  bread  upon  the  waters, 
and  lo,  he  had  found  it  after  many  years. 

Such  incidents  could  be  multiplied  indefinitely, 
but  these  will  suffice.    Bread  cast  upon  the  water 


PRAISEWORTHY  PRODIGALITY  113 


is  not  lost,  "  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 
How  many?  The  Heavenly  Father  knows.  Per- 
haps a  year;  maybe  ten  or  twenty  years;  perchance 
fifty;  possibly  not  in  a  life-time,  and  still  the 
promise  holds  good.  The  great  law  remains  in 
force,  the  good  God  is  in  His  Heaven. 

There  is  a  sturdy  philosophy  in  this  text  which 
fattens  faith  and  strengthens  hope.  Nothing  good 
is  lost,  n»  labour  of  love  is  in  vain,  no  perfume 
was  ever  wasted  on  the  desert  air,  no  flower  was 
ever  born  to  blush  unseen.  "  Cast  thy  bread  upon 
the  waters;  for  thou  shalt  find  it  after  many  days." 
Thou  shalt  find  it  either  in  time  or  in  eternity, 
but  find  it  ultimately  thou  surely  shalt. 

"Unanswered  yet?   Faith  cannot  be  unanswered. 
Her  feet  are  firmly  planted  on  the  rock ; 
Amid  the  wildest  storms  she  stands  undaunted, 
Nor  quails  before  the  earthquake's  shock. 
She  knows  Omnipotence  has  heard  her  prayer, 
And  cries,  It  shall  be  done — sometime,  somewhere." 

O  CHRIST,  THOU  ART  THE  BREAD  OF  LIFE  CAST 
so  WONDROUSLY  UPON  THE  WATERS  OF  A  SINFUL 
HUMANITY  AND  THOU  CANST  FIND  NO  FRUIT  IN 
US  UNLESS  WE  WILL  THAT  IT  SHALL  BE  SO.  FILL 
US  WITH  THY  SPIRIT  UNTIL  WE  SHALL  KNOW 
FROM  EXPERIENCE  THAT  IT  IS  MORE  BLESSED  TO 
GIVE  THAN  TO  RECEIVE. 


VIII 

DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS 


"Perplexed  in  faith,  but  pure  in  deeds, 
At  last  he  beat  his  music  out ; 
There  lives  more  faith  in  honest  doubt. 
Believe  me,  than  in  half  the  creeds. 

"He  fought  his  doubts  and  gathered  strength; 
He  would  not  make  his  judgment  blind; 
He  faced  the  spectres  of  the  mind, 
And  laid  them ;  thus  he  came  at  length 
To  find  a  stronger  faith  his  own." 

Alfred  Tennyson. 


VIII 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS 

"  I  believe,  help  thou  mine  unbelief." — Mark  g :  24. 

DANIEL  WEBSTER  requested  that  this 
verse  of  Scripture  be  carved  on  his  grave- 
stone as  accurately  epitomizing  his  biog- 
raphy in  the  Hfe  of  the  Spirit.  Significant  choice 
of  epitaph,  for  who  of  the  vast  multitude  of  Be- 
lievers has  not  at  some  time  or  another  breathed 
the  prayer:  "  I  believe,  help  thou  mine  unbelief." 

In  this  study  it  is  assumed  that  we  are  all  doubt- 
ers in  some  sense  of  the  term.  Wherever  there 
is  a  normal  mind  questions  are  bound  to  rise. 
It  is  probably  true  that  all  of  us  doubt  some  of 
the  time  and  that  some  of  us  doubt  all  of  the  time, 
but  it  is  not  true  that  all  of  us  doubt  all  of 
the  time.  Robert  Browning  said :  "  We  live 
a  life  of  doubt  diversified  by  faith;  or  a  life 
of  faith  diversified  by  doubt."  This  is  a  distinc- 
tion with  difference,  and  the  difference  between 
such  lives  is  such  a  difference  between  a  life  of 
sickness  diversified  by  health,  and  a  life  of  health 
diversified  by  sickness.  In  the  one  instance  the 
trend  of  life  is  doubt,  faith  an  incident;  in  the 
other  the  trend  of  life  is  faith,  doubt  an  incident. 
Let  it  be  thoroughly  understood  at  the  outset  that 
117 


118    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


when  it  is  conceded  that  we  all  doubt  and  at  one 
time  or  another  are  all  doubters,  it  is  by  no  means 
true  that  we  are  doubters  in  the  same  degree  or 
that  the  attitude  of  our  lives  toward  doubt  is  one 
and  the  same. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  prove  that  doubt  is 
an  experience  common  to  us  all,  but  it  may  be 
profitable  to  illustrate  this  fact.  Such  illustrations 
abound.  Biography  teems  with  them.  Look  at 
the  characters  of  the  Bible.  Religion  is  the  great 
theme  of  the  Bible,  and  faith  is  at  the  forefront 
of  the  pages  of  Holy  Writ.  Great  heroes  of  the 
faith  are  there,  and  yet  what  hero  of  that  faith 
whose  life  career  is  traced  upon  the  Bible  page  was 
without  his  experience  of  doubt? 

Abraham's  faith  failed  at  least  once.  Moses 
was  beset  behind  and  before  with  doubts.  David's 
doubts  dampen  his  Psalms  with  tears.  Elijah 
doubted  the  existence  of  one  other  beside  himself 
who  was  faithful  to  Jehovah.  Peter's  faith  weak- 
ened woefully,  and  as  for  Paul — he  fought  the 
demon  doubt  daily. 

Take  the  case  of  John  the  Baptist — one  of  the 
great  characters  of  all  times,  forerunner  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Voice  in  the  Wilderness  that  came 
crying:  "  Make  ye  ready  the  way  of  the  Lord." 
John  the  Baptist  bore  witness  to  One  that  should 
come  after  him,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  he 
counted  himself  as  not  worthy  to  unloose;  and 
when  Jesus  came  John  recognized  Him  as  the  long- 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  119 


promised  Messiah  and  testified :  "  I  have  seen 
and  borne  witness  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God." 
Time  passed  on  and  the  sturdy  prophet  from  the 
wilderness,  because  of  his  courage  in  speaking  the 
truth  before  a  Hcentious  king,  was  cast  into  prison. 
The  great  rugged  soul,  used  to  the  open  sky  and 
God's  out-of-doors,  pined  and  fretted  in  the  nar- 
row prison  cell.  Doubts  began  to  rise  in  his  mind, 
doubts  about  Jesus.  Was  He  after  all  the  Christ? 
And  John  sent  his  disciples  to  Jesus  with  the 
pathetic  query:  "Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or 
look  we  for  another?"  John  the  Baptist,  who 
bore  witness  to  Christ,  who  had  testified  that  He 
was  the  Son  of  God,  in  a  period  of  gloom  and 
despondency  began  to  question  what  he  had  once 
affirmed  with  deepest  conviction.  And  is  it  not  in 
this  one  experience  that  John  the  Baptist  comes 
closest  to  us,  O  fellow-doubters  of  life's  varied 
pilgrimage? 

Did  Jesus  ever  doubt?  Did  He,  too,  who  was 
tempted  in  all  points  like  as  we  are,  know  what 
it  was  to  doubt  both  man  and  God?  There  are 
at  least  two  passages  of  Scripture  that  seem  to 
answer  this  question  in  the  affirmative.  In  Luke 
i8 :  8,  these  words  are  attributed  to  Jesus :  "  When 
the  Son  of  man  cometh  shall  he  find  faith  on  the 
earth  ?  "  This  is  one  of  the  most  pathetic  inquiries 
that  Jesus  ever  made,  and  on  the  surface  it  seems 
to  indicate  a  doubt  as  to  whetlier  mankind  would 
accept  the  faith  as  He  had  taught  it  and  lived  it. 


120    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


In  Matthew  27:46  and  Mark  15:34  is  recorded 
the  tense  and  awful  sentence :  "  And  about  the 
ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying, 
Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabachthani?  that  is.  My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me  ?  "  Here  is  an 
expression  of  the  deep  and  dreadful  thought  on 
the  part  of  Jesus  that  God  had  forgotten  Him, 
had  cast  Him  off,  that  amidst  the  thick  and  awful 
darkness  He  was  forsaken  by  both  God  and  man. 
Whatever  may  be  the  true  interpretation  of  these 
Scriptural  passages,  they  record  experiences  which, 
though  brief,  were  real  to  Jesus,  and  because  of 
them  they  make  Him  more  than  He  could  be 
without  them — our  great  Mediator,  our  great 
High  Priest,  who  can  be  touched  with  the  feeUngs 
of  all  our  infirmities. 

Not  only  is  it  true  that  doubts  are  common  to 
us  all,  but  it  is  also  true  that  there  are  particular 
periods  of  life  and  certain  experiences  when  doubts 
assail  us  with  incredible  vigour  and  our  minds 
become  veritable  interrogation  points. 

There  is,  for  example,  the  sceptical  period  of 
youth,  the  period  when  the  youthful  mind  begins 
to  question  everything  that  he  was  taught  as  a 
child  to  believe.  Children  accept  at  first  the  beliefs 
of  their  parents  without  question,  and  are  satis- 
fied, but  along  in  the  late  teens  period  comes  the 
disposition  to  question  and  even  to  assume  that 
the  world  is  all  out  of  joint  and  youth  was  born 
to  set  it  right.    Some  one  has  traced  humorously 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  121 


the  development  of  the  human  mind  in  the  college 
career :  "  The  first  year  in  college  the  student 
knows  that  he  knows  it  all;  the  second  year  he 
only  thinks  that  he  knows  it  all;  the  third  year  he 
knows  that  he  doesn't  know  it  all;  and  the  fourth 
year  he  begins  to  doubt  that  he  knows  anything." 
This  is  a  critical  period  and  one  that  calls  for 
patience,  for  tact  and  sympathy  on  the  part  of 
parents  and  teachers  and  pastors. 

The  period  of  middle  life  is  another  time  peril- 
ous for  faith.  Someone  has  coined  the  expression : 
"The  atheism  of  middle  age,"  and  the  phrase 
tragically  describes  the  period  of  distress  and  those 
obstinate  questionings  which  come  after  the  hey- 
day of  youth  and  young  manhood  is  gone,  and  one 
stands  midway  between  the  unfilled  hopes  of  the 
past  and  the  nameless  dread  of  approaching  old 
age.  Faith  bears  a  heavy  strain  in  middle  life, 
and  midchannel  is  where  many  vessels  go  down 
in  woeful  wreck. 

Then  there  is  the  doubt  which  rises  from  the 
experience  of  affliction,  of  adversity,  of  loss,  of 
the  advent  of  death  in  home  and  family  circles. 
These  experiences  come  sometimes  like  a  bolt  from 
the  blue,  smiting  us  to  the  very  earth  in  awful 
shock  or  grief,  and  shaking  our  faith  to  its  very 
foundations.  Such  experiences  call  plaintively  for 
that  love  "  which  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all 
things,  hopeth  all  things,  endureth  all  things." 
Strangely  enough,  these  experiences  have  been  the 


122    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


crucibles  from  which  have  emerged  the  purest  and 
strongest  faith. 

Then  there  are  the  experiences  of  great  pros- 
perity, which  test  faith  so  severely  and  furnish  a 
most  fertile  soil  for  the  subtlest  and  most  forbid- 
ding sort  of  doubt.  When  people  begin  to  trust 
in  gold  they  begin  to  lose  faith  in  God  by  leaps 
and  bounds.  Money  will  purchase  so  much  that 
is  enjoyable.  Money  will  protect  its  possessors 
from  so  many  things  that  are  unpleasant.  Money 
is  so  real,  so  tangible,  that  the  temptation  to  trust 
in  gold  rather  than  in  God  is  too  strong  for  thou- 
sands. And,  I  believe,  it  is  more  difficult  to  deal 
with  doubts  that  rise  out  of  great  prosperity  than 
the  doubts  that  come  from  any  other  of  life's 
experiences.  The  very  atmosphere  that  surrounds 
the  sleek,  prosperous,  independent,  self-sufficient 
doubter  is  not  hospitable  to  faith.  The  wind 
that  blows  from  the'  Doubting  Castle  where 
wealth  and  luxury  abound  resembles  the 
cutting  wind  that  blows  from  off  some  gigantic 
iceberg. 

What  shall  we  do  with  our  doubts?  Shall  we 
ignore  them  ?  What  shall  we  do  with  those  gloomy 
doubts  that  rise  between  man  and  God,  and  be- 
tween man  and  man,  the  doubts  that  threaten  to 
destroy  us  ?  The  best  prescription  that  any  Doctor 
of  Doubts  can  give  is  this:  Doubt  your  doubts. 
Don't  believe  your  doubts.  Face  your  doubts. 
Don't  run  away  from  them.   Question  your  ques- 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  123 


tions.  Don't  raise  a  question  and  be  satisfied  with 
having  raised  it. 

George  Herbert,  in  his  most  readable  little 
volume,  "  The  Country  Parson,"  has  this  vi^hole- 
some  word  concerning  doubts :  "If  you  ever  have 
any  doubts  do  not  run  away  from  them,  but  always 
face  them.  If  you  are  going  through  a  cemetery 
and  you  think  you  see  a  ghost  go  up  to  it  and 
pull  it  to  pieces.  Possibly  you  will  find  that  instead 
of  it  being  a  real  ghost  it  is  only  a  sheet  that  was 
hung  out  to  dry  and  has  been  forgotten  by  the 
servant."  What  sublimated  common  sense !  And 
how  many  of  us  do  just  the  opposite !  We  think 
we  see  a  ghost  and  instead  of  doubting  and  investi- 
gating Mr.  Ghost  we  run  away  from  him,  spread- 
ing abroad  the  wonderful  story  of  the  ghost  we 
saw,  how  he  flitted  among  the  trees  and  the  tombs, 
how  sepulchral  his  tones,  how  dreadful  his  groans 
— this  is  the  way  we  are  prone  to  treat  our  doubts. 
We  are  inclined  to  believe  our  doubts,  we  are 
tempted  to  feed  our  doubts.  What  we  ought  to 
do  is  to  doubt  our  doubts,  investigate  our  doubts, 
do  battle  royal  with  our  doubts,  and  put  them  to 
rout.  This  is  precisely  what  John  the  Baptist  did. 
When  he  began  to  doubt  Jesus  he  squarely  faced 
his  doubt;  he  straightway  began  to  doubt  his 
doubts;  and  he  sent  his  followers  to  Jesus,  Him- 
self, with  the  pertinent  question :  "  Art  thou  he 
that  Cometh,  or  look  we  for  another?  " 

There  is  hope  for  every  doubter  who  will  doubt 


124    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


his  doubts,  who  will  deal  with  them  fairly  and 
squarely,  who  will  rigidly  investigate  the  truth. 
Here,  as  in  everything  else,  the  pioneer  plainsman's 
homely  advice  is  good : — "  Be  sure  you  are  right, 
then  go  ahead."  If  you  say  you  do  not  believe 
the  Bible  be  sure  you  mean  what  you  say.  It 
may  be  you  do  not  believe  what  somebody  has 
said  about  the  Bible.  If  you  say  you  do  not 
believe  the  Bible  is  inspired  be  sure  that  you  do 
not  mean  somebody's  theory  of  Biblical  inspira- 
tion. If  you  say  you  do  not  believe  in  Christ  as 
Divine  it  may  be  you  are  disbelieving  some  defini- 
tion of  His  Divinity.  Cultivate  the  open  mind.  If 
you  are  reading  books  that  challenge  what  you 
believe  the  Bible  teaches  is  true,  read  carefully  the 
Bible  with  a  view  to  finding  out  for  yourself 
what  it  does  teach.  Then  decide  what  you  will 
believe,  but  not  before.  If  you  are  uncertain  as 
to  the  value  of  Christianity  put  your  doubt  to  the 
test.  You  might  read  history  and  be  profited  by 
the  study  of  the  effects  of  Christianity  upon  the 
world's  civilization.  But  there  is  a  simpler,  and 
even  more  practical,  test :  Select  the  people  whom 
you  know,  the  people  whose  lives  are  tolerably 
well-known  to  you,  and  group  them  in  two  com- 
panies. On  the  one  hand  group  those  who  are 
believers  and  are  seeking  the  mind  of  Christ.  On 
the  other  hand  group  those  whom  you  know  to 
be  unbelievers  and  who  estimate  lightly  religion. 
Study  the  lives  of  each  group.    Talk  with  the 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  125 


members  of  each  group.  Obtain  their  views  of 
life,  their  attitude  toward  God  and  man;  and 
then,  out  of  your  intimate  study  decide  with  which 
group  you  would  rather  cast  your  lot.  Any  great 
truth  must  stand  or  fall  by  the  test — "  By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 

Doubt  your  doubts.  Bring  acid  and  test  their 
metals.  Bring  tape  and  take  their  measure.  Bring 
plummet  line  and  sound  their  depths.  Face  them 
squarely,  probe  them  thoroughly.  Drag  them  out 
of  the  shadows  where  they  lurk,  and  watch  them 
shrivel  in  the  strong  white  light  of  investigation. 

So  much  for  the  doubts.  But  what  shall  we 
do  with  the  Doubter?  Doubt  the  Doubter?  No, 
the  very  opposite.  Believe  in  the  doubter.  Doubt 
the  doubter's  doubt,  but  believe  in  the  doubter, 
himself.  The  same  distinction  exists  between  the 
doubter  and  his  doubt  as  does  between  the  sinner 
and  his  sin.  The  distinction  is  not  always  easy 
to  make,  but  it  is  there.  It  used  to  be  quite  the 
fashion  to  confuse  the  doubter  with  his  doubt  and 
to  run  over  him  rough  shod.  It  is  still  the  fashion 
in  some  quarters  to  doubt  the  doubter,  to  damn 
him  for  his  doubt,  to  put  him  outside  the  pale  of 
respectability  along  with  the  reprobate  and  the 
scoundrel.  But  that  was  not  Jesus'  way.  The 
severity  of  Jesus  was  never  visited  upon  the  honest 
doubter,  btit  instead  upon  those  who  prided  them- 
selves upon  their  religious  attainments,  yet  were 
actually  hypocritical  and  loveless.    Look  at  the 


126    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


attitude  of  Jesus  toward  John  when  John  doubted 
Him  and  sent  the  message :  "  Art  thou  he  that 
Cometh,  or  look  we  for  another  ? "  Did  Jesus 
condemn  John?  Did  He  take  advantage  of  so 
favourable  an  opportunity  to  weaken  John's  influ- 
ence or  assail  his  character?  He  did  nothing  of 
the  kind.  On  the  contrary  He  commended  him. 
He  said :  "  Among  them  that  are  born  of  women, 
there  hath  not  arisen  a  greater  than  John  the 
Baptist."  Jesus  believed  in  John,  and  Jesus' 
method  of  destroying  John's  doubts  and  increasing 
John's  faith  is  worthy  our  emulation.  To  the 
Baptist's  disciples  He  said :  "  Go  and  tell  John 
the  things  which  ye  have  seen  and  heard ;  the  blind 
receive  their  sight,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up, 
the  poor  have  good  tidings  preached  to  them.  And 
blessed  is  he,  whosoever  shall  find  no  occasion  of 
stumbHng  in  me." 

The  attitude  of  some  well-meaning  persons 
toward  honest  doubters  is  as  certain  to  drive  them 
farther  away  from  faith  as  though  deliberately 
designed  to  accomplish  that  very  purpose.  When 
a  young  man  questions  some  Scriptural  truth,  or 
some  view  of  the  Bible,  only  to  discover  that  in 
raising  the  question  he  has  drawn  suspicion  to  him- 
self and  called  forth  censure,  naturally  enough  his 
doubt  is  deepened,  not  dispelled.  He  asks  for 
bread  and  is  given  a  stone;  he  seeks  for  light  and 
experiences  a  thunderstorm. 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  127 


Jesus'  attitude  toward  John  the  Doubter  should 
be  the  attitude  of  preacher  and  parent  and  teacher 
toward  the  doubter  in  home  and  church  and  school. 
Jesus'  attitude  toward  John  the  Baptist  in  that 
good  man's  experience  of  doubt  is  altogether 
beautiful,  patient,  sympathetic.  Such  an  attitude 
invariably  makes  for  faith.  Imagine,  if  you  can, 
Jesus  calling  John  an  infidel;  fancy,  if  you  can, 
Jesus  calling  Thomas  a  sceptic.  How  unchris- 
tian our  custom  of  flaunting  the  names  infidel, 
sceptic,  atheist,  agnostic  before  the  faces  of  those 
who  are  seeking  truth  and  light,  who  need  our 
help  not  our  hostility,  who  need  to  be  builded  up, 
not  destroyed! 

I  am  not  forgetting  that  there  is  a  blatant,  even 
blasphemous,  type  of  doubter.  I  am  not  speaking 
of  that  type  now.  But,  even  so,  the  blatant  and 
blasphemous  doubter  is  not  helped  toward  faith 
by  calling  him  names.  At  its  best  calling  names 
is  unprofitable,  and  at  its  worst  contemptible.  And 
if  we  begin  by  having  some  faith  in  a  doubter, 
even  a  doubter  of  the  coarse  and  noisy  kind,  might 
not  our  faith  in  him  begin  to  beget  faith  on  his 
part  in  our  God  and  His  Christ? 

Here,  then,  is  the  prescription  for  our  doubts 
and  for  doubters:  Doubt  your  doubts.  Subject 
them  to  the  closest  scrutiny  and  the  most  merciless 
investigation. 

Believe  in  the  doubter.  Fan  the  smallest  spark 
of  faith  into  flame.    Help  him  to  doubt  his  own 


128    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


doubts  by  making  him  to  know  your  faith  in  him. 

I  opened  the  other  day  the  immortal  allegory 
of  Bunyan  and  reread  after  some  years  the  expe- 
rience of  Christian  and  Hopeful  when  they  wan- 
dered ofif  through  By-Path  Meadow  and  were 
made  prisoners  in  Doubting  Castle.  And,  as  I 
read  I  felt  again  somewhat  of  the  thrill  I  experi- 
enced when  I  read  the  Pilgrim's  Progress  as  a 
little  boy.  Giant  Despair,  you  will  remember,  was 
master  of  that  castle,  and  his  wife  who  was  named 
Diffidence  was  mistress  there.  It  is  not  said  that 
they  had  any  children  but  if  they  had  a  son  and 
daughter  they  might  well  have  been  named 
Sarcasm  and  Ridicule.  Bunyan's  nomenclature 
is  richly  suggestive.  Look  at  the  names  of  the 
master  and  mistress  of  Doubting  Castle, — Despair 
and  Diffidence.  Are  they  not  the  finished  products 
of  Doubt?  The  poor  pilgrims  suffered  in  Doubt- 
ing Castle.  Giant  Despair  beat  Christian  and 
Hopeful  with  many  stripes,  and  they  were  without 
food  or  drink.  They  were  in  a  sorry  plight  and 
knew  not  what  awful  disaster  awaited  them  on 
the  morrow.  In  the  midst  of  their  anxieties  Chris- 
tian remembered  that  he  possessed  a  key  called 
Promise.  He  informed  Hopeful,  who  suggested 
that  he  pluck  the  key  from  his  bosom  and  try 
the  lock  of  the  dungeon  door.  Christian  did  so, 
and  lo,  the  bolts  gave  back  and  the  door  flew 
open.  Christian  and  Hopeful  passed  out  into  the 
castle  yard  and  lo,  the  same  key  opened  the  gate. 


DOUBTS  AND  DOUBTERS  129 


Into  glorious  freedom  they  made  their  joyful  way 
and  so  came  to  the  Delectable  Mountains  and  there 
they  met  the  shepherds  who  bade  them  welcome 
to  the  gardens  and  orchards,  the  vineyards  and 
fountains  of  water.  And  the  names  of  the  shep- 
herds were — mark  well  these  names — Knowledge, 
Experience,  Watchful,  and  Sincere.  Then  the 
four  shepherds  pointed  out  from  one  of  the  moun- 
tain heights  Doubting  Castle  and  traced  for  the 
two  pilgrims  a  path  that  led  from  that  terrible 
place  to  an  enclosure  where  Giant  Despair  was  ac- 
customed to  lead  his  prisoners  and  leave  them  after 
he  had  put  out  their  eyes.  There  they  saw,  wan- 
dering in  their  blindness  among  the  tombs  in  dark- 
ness and  distress,  a  number  of  the  giant's  victims. 
And  when  Christian  and  Hopeful  looked  upon  that 
sight  tears  gushed  from  their  eyes,  although  they 
said  nothing  to  the  shepherds  of  their  narrow 
escape  from  that  dreadful  castle  of  doubt  and 
danger. 

Ah,  me!  We  have  all  known  the  interior  of 
Doubting  Castle;  Giant  Despair  and  his  wife, 
Diffidence,  are  not  entire  strangers  to  us.  But 
no  one  need  dwell  in  Doubting  Castle.  There  is 
a  key  that  unlocks  its  dungeon  doors.  It  is  the 
key  of  Faith.  Subjects  of  Giant  Despair,  take 
that  blessed  key,  unlock  the  dungeon  door,  leave 
Doubting  Castle,  and  come  into  the  Delectable 
Mountains  of  Trust  where  the  Good  Shepherd 
will  lead  you  beside  the  green  pastures  and  make 


130    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


you  to  lie  down  by  still  waters,  will  restore  your 
soul,  and,  by-and-bye,  lead  you  home  to  go  out 
no  more  forever. 

LORD  JESUS,  WE  BELIEVE,  HELP  THOU  OUR 
UNBELIEF.  LIKE  THE  TWO  DISCIPLES  ON  THE 
EMMAUS  WAY  WE  ARE  FOOLISH  AND  SLOW  TO  BE- 
LIEVE ALL  THAT  THE  PROPHETS  HAVE  SPOKEN. 
PITY  OUR  WILLINGNESS  TO  DWELL  IN  VALES  OF 
GLOOM  WHEN  WE  MIGHT  ABIDE  ON  THE  SHINING 
PLATEAUS.  ENRICH  OUR  AFFECTIONS  TOWARD  ONE 
ANOTHER  AND  MAKE  US  FIT  TO  BE  THY  MESSEN- 
GERS OF  LIGHT  TO  ALL  WHO  SIT  IN  DARKNESS. 


IX 

THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR 


"If  you  can  wait  and  not  be  tired  by  waiting 
Or  being  lied  about  don't  deal  in  lies, 
Or  being  hated  don't  give  way  to  hating, 
And  yet  don't  look  too  good,  nor  talk  too  wise. 

"If  you  can  fill  the  unforgiving  minute 

With  sixty  seconds'  worth  of  distance  run, 
Yours  is  the  Earth  and  everything  that's  in  it, 
And — which  is  more — you'll  be  a  Man,  my  son ! " 

RuDYARD  Kipling. 


IX 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR 


"  And  he  that  overcometh  ...  I  will  give  him 
the  morning  star." — Revelation  2 :  26-28. 

1HIS  closing  volume  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 


is  a  veritable  field  of  the  cloth  of  gold. 


That  the  devout  characters  who  glorify 
the  pages  of  "  Beside  the  Bonnie  Briar  Bush " 
should  reserve  the  word  "  magnificent "  for  the 
Book  of  Revelation  is  not  surprising.  Quite  apart 
from  its  theological  significance,  the  book  is  a  won- 
der. Considered  as  a  colossal  canvas  for  the  brush 
of  the  Almighty,  it  is  bewildering  in  gorgeous 
colouring.  Regarded  as  a  vast  augmented  orchestra 
it  is  a  succession  of  Halleluiah  choruses  with  melo- 
dious interludes.  As  poetry  it  is  epic,  lyric,  ode 
and  hymn  in  unforgettable  combination.  Texts 
selected  from  this  Book  differ  one  from  another 
in  glory  and  the  one  selected  for  study  here  is 
among  the  most  glorious  of  them  all.  Christ  is 
the  author,  the  promise  is  of  Him;  to  those  who 
overcome  He  declares :  "I  will  give  him  the 
morning  star." 

Observe  carefully  the  beauty  and  bril- 
liance   OF    the    metaphor  "  THE  MORNING 

STAR."  The  very  expression  is  synonymous  with 


133 


134,    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


glory  and  scintillating  radiance.  Just  before  day- 
break the  morning  star  may  be  seen  in  all  of  its 
jubilant  splendour.  Reference  is  made  by  other 
Biblical  writers  to  the  glorious  star  of  the  morn- 
ing. Job,  in  the  thirty-eighth  chapter  and  seventh 
verse,  tells  of  the  time  "  when  the  morning  stars 
sang  together  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for 
joy."  Isaiah,  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  and  twelfth 
verse,  alludes  to  the  downfall  of  Babylon  under 
the  imagery  of  the  morning  star  fallen  from 
heaven,  and  exclaims :  "  How  art  thou  fallen 
from  heaven,  O  daystar,  sun  of  the  morning!  how 
art  thou  cut  down  to  the  ground  that  didst  lay  low 
thy  nations!  "  In  II  Peter,  first  chapter  and  nine- 
teenth verse,  are  these  words :  "  And  we  have 
the  word  of  prophecy  made  more  sure;  where 
unto  ye  do  well  that  ye  take  heed,  as  unto  a  lamp 
shining  in  a  dark  place,  until  the  day  dawn  and 
the  daystar  arise  in  your  hearts."  This  allusion 
to  the  daystar  is  a  poetic  one.  After  a  night  of 
fishing  on  the  sea  of  Galilee,  Simon  Peter  had 
many  times  beheld  the  glory  of  the  daystar,  and 
watched  it  quivering  in  the  mists  of  the  early 
morning,  only  disappearing  when  the  sun  arose 
in  fiery  grandeur.  Remembering  in  his  old  age 
the  splendid  spectacle,  the  Apostle  employs  the 
figure  of  the  morning  star  to  express  the  glory  of 
the  crowning  revelation  that  God  gave  us  in  His 
beloved  Son,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

On  rare  occasions  I  have  beheld  the  indescrib- 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR  135 


able  glory  of  the  morning  star,  but  never  in  such 
surpassing  beauty  as  from  the  upper  deck  of  a 
steamship  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean  a  little  while  be- 
fore daybreak  on  an  August  morning.  The  night 
before  the  Captain  had  informed  the  passengers 
that  the  ship  would  pass  the  Azores  about  four 
o'clock  the  next  morning,  close  enough  to  see  the 
signal  lights  from  the  harbour  of  one  of  the  coast 
cities.  In  company  with  a  half-dozen  other  pas- 
sengers I  came  on  deck  about  3 :30  o'clock  and 
there  in  the  heavens,  like  some  great  electrical 
aerial  signal  light,  hung  the  most  brilliant  star  I 
ever  saw.  It  seemed  so  close  that  I  thought  if 
one  had  a  ladder  of  but  little  more  than  ordi- 
nary length  he  could  set  it  up  against  the  vault 
of  heaven  and  so  easily  reach  the  great  and 
glorious  star  that  scintillated  with  sheen  and  pul- 
sated in  its  loveliness  like  a  thing  of  life.  "  The 
morning  star ! "  What  a  wonderful  figure  is  this, 
and  the  splendid  promise  is  of  the  Christ.  "  He 
that  overcometh,"  He  says,  "  to  him  will  I  give 
the  morning  star."  Whatever  the  precise  meaning 
of  this  fine  figure  it  assuredly  signifies  something 
altogether  glorious,  something  greatly  to  be  de- 
sired, something  far  above  the  price  of  rubies, 
something  better  than  gold,  yea  than  much  fine 
gold. 

We  shall  do  the  text  no  violence  if  we 
accept  this  beautiful  metaphor  as  a  symbol 
of  the  highest  and  holiest  aspiration.  the 


136    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


stars  have  long  been  associated  with  human 
achievement.  Astrology  is  older  than  astronomy. 
Conversation,  if  not  belief,  still  persists  with  refer- 
ence to  unlucky  stars.  In  1797,  when  Napoleon 
returned  to  Paris  after  his  campaigns  in  Italy, 
he  was  astonished  to  see  the  crowds  around  the 
Palace  of  the  Luxembourg,  fixing  their  eyes  on 
the  sky.  He  looked  up  and  saw  Venus  gleaming 
there  in  the  full  daylight.  The  people  enthu- 
siastically applauded  the  apparition  as  his  star. 
Emerson's  advice  was :  "  Hitch  your  wagon  to  a 
star,"  and  he  has  phrased  his  thought  well. 
Christianity  rightfully  interpreted  is  first,  last,  and 
always  a  forward-looking  faith.  Our  great  Leader 
does  not  ask  us  to  fling  away  ambition ;  instead.  He 
requires  us  to  make  the  noblest  use  of  ambition. 
Follow  the  Christ  if  you  would  know  the  glory 
of  going  on.  When  Rubinstein  was  in  America 
some  years  ago  his  host  asked  him  on  Sunday  if 
he  wanted  to  go  to  church.  He  answered :  "  Yes, 
if  you  can  take  me  to  hear  a  preacher  who  can 
tempt  me  to  do  the  impossible."  Every  preacher 
of  the  Christian  faith  ought  to  be  able  to  do  that 
very  thing.  He  whom  we  preach  embodies  the 
highest  and  holiest  ideals.  Jesus'  face  was  set 
toward  Jerusalem  and  Jerusalem  was  the  place 
of  His  crucifixion.  "  I  must  also  see  Rome," 
exclaimed  the  Apostle  Paul,  although  to  see  Rome 
meant  martyrdom.  "  I  press  on,"  is  a  great  Chris- 
tian motto.   So  we  may  think  of  the  morning  star 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR  137 


as  a  symbol  of  perseverance  in  every  worthy 
undertaking.  Whatever  be  one's  life  task,  whether 
in  store  or  shop,  in  school  or  on  farm,  the  Christian 
faith  supplies  the  mightiest  incentive  to  invest 
one's  work  with  the  very  best  and  finest  that  one 
can  give. 

The  great  painter,  Rubens,  believed  more  in 
hard  work  and  practice  than  he  did  in  genius. 
"  Do  well,"  he  once  said,  "  and  some  will  be  jeal- 
ous. Do  better  and  they  will  be  confounded." 
In  his  opinion  a  man  who  imagines  that  he  can 
do  something  marvellous  without  toil  and  patience 
"  must  have  a  large  dose  of  madness  in  him." 
To  an  artist  who  boasted  that  he  had  painted  a 
certain  picture  in  less  than  three  weeks,  Rubens 
said  coldly:  "  I  am  surprised,  my  friend,  I  should 
have  thought  you  had  only  daubed  at  it  for  three 
days."  Edison  instructs  his  men  never  to  send 
anything  out  of  his  laboratory  that  is  not,  so  far 
as  human  eyes  can  tell,  absolutely  flawless.  Biog- 
raphy is  luminous  with  the  story  of  pluck's  fruitage 
and  reward.  Giotto  could  draw  a  perfect  circle. 
How  many  imperfect  circles  he  drew  before  his 
art  mastered  perfection  we  know  not — likely  many 
thousands.  One  reason  why  so  many  are  stranded 
on  the  shores  of  failure  is  because  they  did  not 
invest  themselves  in  the  fullest  sense,  they  followed 
the  line  of  least  resistance,  they  failed  to  do  with 
their  might  what  their  hands  found  to  do.  There 
is  a  httle  gem  of  verse  entitled :    "  Standing  on 


138    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Tip-Toe,"  by  George  Frederick  Cameron,  which 
interprets  accurately  the  forward-looking  unbeat- 
able soul : 

"  Standing  on  tip-toe  ever  since  my  youth, 
Striving  to  grasp  the  future  just  above, 
I  hold  at  length  the  lonely  future — Truth, 
And  Truth  is  Love. 

"  I  feel  as  one  who  being  a  while  confined. 
Sees  drop  to  dust  about  him  all  his  bars ; 
The  clay  grows  less  and  leaving  it,  the  mind 
Dwells  with  the  stars." 

"  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star !  "  Such  is 
the  symbol  of  the  Christian  life,  the  morning  star 
ever  waxing,  never  waning.  Let  this  splendid 
promise  be  for  every  one  a  mighty  commission  to 
"  covet  earnestly  the  best  gifts."  Let  this  great 
declaration  teach  us  that  it  is  better  to  be  defeated 
in  the  battle  for  the  best  than  victorious  in  a  con- 
test for  the  mediocre.  The  standard  Christ  set 
up  for  His  followers  is  perfection:  "Ye  therefore 
shall  be  perfect,  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  per- 
fect." 

This  splendid  figure  may  be  taken  also  as 

a  symbol  of  self-mastery  the  reward  of 

OVERCOMING.  To  be  a  Christian  is  to  overcome 
the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  conquest  is  self.  In  the  opening  chapters 
of  Revelation  containing  the  letters  to  the  churches 
of  Asia,  there  are  seven  distinct  promises  of  which 
this  text  is  but  one,  and  the  promises  are  all  condi- 
tioned upon  overcoming.    Finally  in  the  twenty- 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR  139 


first  chapter,  seventh  verse,  the  writer  concludes 
his  memorable  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
with  the  impressive  words :  "  He  that  overcometh 
shall  inherit  these  things;  and  I  will  be  his  God, 
and  he  shall  be  my  son."  We  who  seek  to  follow 
Him  who  overcame  the  world  must  perforce  set 
ourselves  to  overcome  whatever  may  be  contrary 
to  His  mind. 

There  is  the  matter  of  an  unruly  tongue.  A 
host  of  church  members  have  need  to  tame  the 
tongue.  There  is  only  one  place  where  one  can 
tame  a  tongue  that  has  a  foul  way  of  spreading 
poison,  and  that  is  to  tame  it  in  the  school  of  Him 
who  "  when  He  was  reviled,  reviled  not  again." 

And  there  is  the  obstacle  of  a  violent  temper. 
A  great  many  of  us  need  to  take  our  tempers  to 
Christ's  school  to  learn  control.  In  a  recent  life 
of  Thomas  B.  Reed  there  is  a  homely,  yet  illumi- 
nating, incident  told  of  that  famous  statesman. 
Mr.  Reed,  who  was  a  very  large  and  heavy  man, 
went  into  the  sitting-room  of  his  home  one  even- 
ing and  came  very  nearly  sitting  down  on  a  chair 
where  curled  up  comfortably  was  his  little  daugh- 
ter's favourite  cat.  In  her  haste  to  save  the  cat 
the  little  girl  pulled  the  chair  out  from  under  her 
father,  who  sat  down  heavily  upon  the  floor.  Mr. 
Reed  got  up  slowly  and  with  fine  control  remon- 
strated gently  with  the  little  girl,  saying :  **  My 
daughter,  it  is  easier  to  get  a  new  cat  than  it  is 
a  new  father." 


140    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Then  there  are  those  untoward  passions  that 
will,  if  permitted  to  persist,  consume  our  better 
natures  like  some  corrosive  venom.  Jealousy, 
envy,  and  avarice — those  enemies  of  the  best  must 
be  stubbornly  resisted  and  conquered,  else  they  will 
conquer  and  destroy. 

There,  too,  are  the  vicious  habits.  They  can 
never  be  conquered  save  by  will  power  and  a  most 
persistent  endeavour  to  overcome  them.  The 
mania  for  gambling,  the  love  of  strong  drink, 
indulgence  in  any  vice, — only  by  the  hardest  kind 
of  battle  can  these  enemies  of  the  spiritual  life  be 
defeated  and  put  to  rout.  There  is  a  joy  in  over- 
coming, an  actual  elation  in  putting  to  flight  the 
aliens  that  seek  the  citadel  of  the  spiritual.  It  is 
a  rich  and  wonderful  experience  to  cooperate 
with  Christ  in  cleansing  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  enemies  that  seek  to  defile  it.  John 
Masefield  in  "  The  Everlasting  Mercy,"  draws  a 
terrible  picture  of  the  interior  of  a  public  drinking 
house  at  the  closing  time.  A  good  Quakeress  has 
just  stepped  in  on  her  round  of  tract  distributing, 
when  she  is  assailed  with  ribald  utterances  by  a 
burly  drunkard.  She  calmly  listens  until  he  has 
finished,  then  she  turns  to  him  with  these  words : 

"  Saul  Kane,"  she  said,  "  when  next  you  drink, 
Do  me  the  gentleness  to  think 
That  every  drop  of  drink  accursed 
Makes  Christ  within  you  die  of  thirst; 
That  every  dirty  word  you  say 
Is  one  more  flint  upon  His  way. 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR  141 


Another  thorn  about  His  head, 
Another  mock  by  where  He  tread, 
Another  nail,  another  cross, 
All  that  you  are  is  that  Christ's  lost." 

Would  you  possess  the  "  morning  star  "  ?  Then 
"  put  ye  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  make  not 
provision  for  the  flesh." 

In  a  very  proper  sense  we  may  think  of 
the  gift  of  the  morning  star  as  none  other 
THAN  JESUS  CHRIST  HIMSELF.  Throughout  the 
Scriptures  a  star  is  the  symbol  of  royal  dominion 
and  the  highest  use  of  this  symbol  is  its  applica- 
tion to  Jesus  Christ.  As  has  already  been  inti- 
mated in  this  study,  Peter  in  his  second  epistle, 
in  his  use  of  the  daystar,  refers  to  Jesus.  In 
Revelation  22:  16,  are  the  words,  "  I,  Jesus,  have 
sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things 
for  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring 
of  David,  the  bright,  the  morning  star."  That 
every  man  and  woman  may  possess  Him  is  an 
outstanding  and  glorious  fact  of  Christian  biog- 
raphy. The  pupils  of  any  master  come  at  last 
to  partake  of  their  master's  mind,  and  in  a  sense 
the  master  is  reproduced  in  his  followers.  In  a 
still  more  intimate  sense  this  is  true  of  the  faithful 
disciples  of  Jesus.  Paul,  the  mystic,  loved  to 
write  and  speak  of  the  Christ  as  the  priceless 
possession  of  the  believer.  In  Galatians  2 :  20  he 
testifies:  "  I  have  been  crucified  with  Christ;  and 
it  is  no  longer  I  that  live,  but  Christ  liveth  in 


142    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


me:  and  that  life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh  I 
live  in  faith,  the  faith  which  is  in  the  Son  of  God, 
who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  up  for  me."  In 
Ephesians  3:17  he  observes:  "That  Christ  may 
dwell  in  your  hearts  through  faith."  And  in 
Colossians  i :  27  he  employs  the  fine  phrase : 
"  Christ  in  you,  the  hope  of  glory."  While  in 
John  17:  23,  Jesus  prays  that  all  who  believe  may 
be  one — "  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they 
may  be  perfected  into  one;  that  the  world  may 
know  that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them, 
even  as  thou  lovedst  me." 

Recently  I  examined  a  curious  picture  taken  by 
an  amateur  photographer  of  the  snow-clad  weep- 
ing-willows in  Linden  Grove  Cemetery  at  Coving- 
ton, Kentucky.  Oddly,  too,  the  photograph  was 
taken  on  a  Christmas  Eve.  When  the  plate  was 
developed  and  the  picture  printed  lo!  in  one  of 
the  snow-shrouded  trees  appeared  the  outlines 
strikingly  distinct  of  the  conventional  portraits  of 
Jesus  Christ,  every  detail  of  His  form,  the  crown 
of  thorns,  the  serious  upturned  face.  It  is  so 
vivid,  so  unexpected  that  there  is  something  almost 
unearthly  about  that  photograph.  Copies  of  the 
picture  have  been  sold  far  and  wide  and  the  owner 
of  the  negative  is  said  to  have  refused  forty  thou- 
sand dollars  for  the  plate.  For  years  to  come  that 
chance  photograph  of  a  winter  landscape  with  the 
Christ's  figure  fashioned  so  surprisingly  in  the 
snowy  tree  will  call  forth  comment  anew.    As  I 


THE  GIFT  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR  143 


recall  this  strange  photograph  and  the  circum- 
stances of  its  making,  I  behold  in  it  a  parable  of 
spiritual  life  for  all  of  us  who  seek  the  mind  of 
Christ.  If  we  shall  follow  Him  closely  and  per- 
sistently seek  His  mind  we  shall  at  last — O 
marvellous  achievement !  possess  Him,  He  shall  be 
in  us  and  of  us,  and  so  become  our  all  in  all. 
And  if  a  spiritual  photograph  could  be  made  of 
such  a  lover  of  the  Lord,  might  it  not  be  that  the 
picture  when  finished  would  reveal  radiant,  glori- 
ous, transcendent,  the  likeness  of  Him  who  is  the 
express  image  of  the  Father  of  us  all? 

"  And  he  that  overcometh   ...   I  will  give  him  the 
morning  star." 

"  'Tis  heaven  alone  that  is  given  away, 
'Tis  only  God  may  be  had  for  the  asking." 

GIVER  OF  THE  MORNING  STAR,  THOU  ART  HE  FOR 
WHOM  OUR  SOULS  HAVE  WAITED.  THOU  ALONE 
CANST  SATISFY  OUR  SPIRITUAL  HUNGER.  CREATE 
WITHIN  US  A  CLEAN  HEART,  O  GOD,  AND  RENEW 
A  RIGHT  SPIRIT  WITHIN  US  SO  THAT  SWEPT  AND 
GARNISHED  OUR  LIVES  MAY  BECOME  FIT  ABODES 
FOR  THE  GREAT  COMPANION. 


X 

RIZPAH  OF  THE  MOTHER  HEART 


"  Mary,  when  that  little  child 
Lay  upon  your  heart  at  rest, 
Did  the  thorns,  Maid-mother,  mild, 
Pierce  your  breast? 

"  Mary,  when  that  little  child 

Softly  kissed  your  cheek  benign, 
Did  you  know,  O  Mary  mild, 
Judas'  sign? 

"  Mary,  when  that  little  child 

Cooed  and  prattled  at  your  knee, 
Did  you  see  with  heart-beat  wild. 
Calvary  ?  " 

Rose  TRUMBinx. 


X 


RIZPAH  OF  THE  MOTHER  HEART 


"  And  Rizpah  the  daughter  of  Aiah  took  sackcloth, 
and  spread  it  for  her  upon  the  rock,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  harvest  until  water  was  poured  upon  them 
from  heaven ;  and  she  suffered  neither  the  birds  of 
the  heavens  to  rest  on  them  by  day,  nor  the  beasts 
of  the  field  by  night" — //  Samuel  21 :  10. 

S  Stars  shine  most  in  deepest  tints  of  blue, 


so  this  dramatic  and  tender  incident  shines 


from  out  a  dark  and  bloody  background. 
The  time  was  in  the  early  part  of  David's  reign. 
Saul  and  Jonathan  were  dead  and  a  bloody  war 
of  vengeance  had  been  waged  upon  the  entire 
house  of  the  slain  monarch.  The  Gibeonites,  be- 
cause of  havoc  wrought  upon  them  by  Saul,  de- 
manded of  King  David  seven  of  Saul's  grandsons 
that  they  might  be  put  to  death  in  retaliation. 
Israel's  king  delivered  up  seven  of  Saul's  descend- 
ants, sparing  only  Jonathan's  son,  Mephibosheth. 
Two  of  Rizpah's  sons  and  five  sons  of  Michal, 
the  daughter  of  Saul,  were  chosen.  These  seven 
the  Gibeonites  put  to  death  in  the  days  of  barley 
harvest.  Such  stories  of  bloodshed  make  unpleas- 
ant reading  and  David's  act  in  complying  with  the 
request  seems  base  and  heartless.  Yet,  it  was  in 
accordance  with  the  law  of  those  times  that  a 


147 


148    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


murdered  man's  nearest  kin  must  requite  the  wrong 
done  his  people.  We  judge  these  events  by  the 
time  in  which  they  took  place.  It  happened  a 
thousand  years  before  Christ  and  was  only  a  com- 
monplace of  those  sanguinary  times.  In  the  very 
heart  of  this  dark  and  bloody  deed  there  shines 
steadily  a  most  touching  and  beautiful  ministry. 

Rizpah,  the  wife  of  Saul,  when  her  two  sons 
were  hanged  on  the  hillside,  fetched  sackcloth  and 
spread  it  upon  the  rock  underneath  their  lifeless 
forms.  And  from  the  beginning  of  the  barley 
harvest  until  the  end,  Rizpah  of  the  Mother 
Heart  defended  the  bodies  of  her  two  boys  from 
the  birds  of  the  heaven  by  day  and  the  beasts  of 
the  field  by  night.  Brave  woman  of  a  brutal  age! 
It  was  not  permitted  her  to  cut  down  the  bodies 
of  her  sons  and  give  them  decent  burial,  but  she 
did  all  that  she  could.  A  body  left  outside  and 
unprotected  in  that  semi-tropic  clime  is  soon  the 
prey  of  carrion  birds  or  scavenger  beasts,  and  such 
a  disposition  of  the  dead  was  particularly  horrify- 
ing to  the  Israelitish  people. 

I  have  somewhere  seen  a  celebrated  picture  with 
this  Biblical  incident  as  theme.  It  portrays  Rizpah 
on  the  rock  defending  her  dead  from  the  ominous- 
looking  birds  that  sought  to  attack  their  bodies; 
and  defending  them,  also,  from  the  skulking  beasts 
that  sought  to  drag  the  bodies  down.  It  is  a  dra- 
matic picture :  Rizpah's  long  hair  is  disheveled 
and  her  attitude  tense  and  militant  to  the  core. 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  149 


And  this  touching  incident  of  that  far  away 
period  has  lessons  for  us  of  today.  The  incident 
of  Rizpah  defending  her  dead  sons  is  typical  of 
the  mothers  of  earth  defending  their  living 
progeny.  Think  of  the  brave  mothers  who  are 
protecting  with  sturdy  heroism  their  helpless 
young  from  the  insatiable  vultures  of  poverty. 
There  is  no  poetry  in  poverty,  no  halo  about 
penury,  no  rainbow  over  want.  "  Poverty,"  said 
the  Latin  poet,  "  is  death  in  another  form." 
Where  one  strong,  vigorous  character  has  over- 
come poverty  and  pressed  on  to  a  competence  and 
to  abundant  life,  nine  less  fitted  for  the  battle 
with  such  untoward  conditions  have  gone  down  to 
defeat.  Much  that  is  untrue  has  been  written  in 
praise  of  poverty.  It  has  been  said  that  poverty 
brings  out  the  best  that  is  in  men.  Alas,  only  too 
often  it  brings  it  out  by  the  roots.  Oftener  pov- 
erty brings  out  the  worst  that  is  in  men.  Poverty 
is  a  foe  of  civilization,  a  breeder  of  crime,  a  be- 
getter of  disease.  Poverty  is  the  great  destroyer 
and  many  a  mother,  by  the  death  of  her  husband 
or  other  misfortune,  has  been  left  to  battle  against 
the  loathsome  vultures  that  hover  darkly  over 
every  home  where  want  and  penury  flourish. 

I  know  a  mother  left  with  five  children  to  battle 
against  this  relentless  foe.  For  ten  years  she  has 
beaten  back  the  vultures.  She  has  brought  up  her 
boys  and  girls  to  be  economical  and  to  know  the 
value  of  money.    She  has  encouraged  them  to  put 


150    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


their  hands  to  every  honest  task.  Considering  the 
disadvantages  under  which  she  has  laboured,  she 
has  wrought  well.  But  alas!  her  once  strong, 
vigorous  body  is  broken  and  pain-racked.  She 
is  prematurely  aged,  a  victim  of  an  unequal  battle. 
Furthermore,  the  stern  necessity  of  making  a  living 
has  compelled  her  to  take  the  children  one  by  one 
out  of  the  public  schools  before  they  had  com- 
pleted the  lower  grades.  Speed  the  day  when  the 
state  or  municipality,  or  both,  shall  rally  to  the 
support  of  such  a  mother  and  make  it  possible 
for  every  aspiring  son  and  daughter  to  acquire  at 
least  a  high  school  education. 

Behold,  also,  the  mothers  of  today  guarding 
their  children  from  the  unclean  birds  of  impurity, 
the  carrion  crows  of  vicious  influences  and  temp- 
tations. These  foul  birds  come  from  all  direc- 
tions; they  come  singly  and  in  flocks;  they  come 
in  the  guise  of  Hterature;  they  are  on  the  streets 
and  in  the  school;  and  they  abound  in  places  of 
amusement.  They  are  especially  numerous  on 
the  stage.  The  pernicious  play  has  ever  been  a 
favourite  breeding  place  for  them,  and  now  the 
moving  pictures  have  become  their  rendezvous.  If 
we  have  been  slow  to  believe  the  motion  pictures 
are  fraught  with  peril  we  have  but  to  investigate 
and  learn  our  mistake.  Not  long  ago  the  Cleve- 
land censor  of  motion  pictures  secured  one  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  ninety-five  essays  written 
by  children  of  six  different  schools  giving  their 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  151 


opinions  of  the  kind  of  pictures  they  Hked  best. 
The  answers  contain  plentiful  food  for  sober 
reflection. 

A  boy  in  the  third  grade  wrote :  "  I  go  to  the 
show  about  once  a  month.  I  would  like  to  go 
once  a  week.  When  you  go  to  the  show  you  see 
men  robbing  houses  and  you  learn  to  rob  houses 
and  people." 

A  girl  in  the  fifth  grade  wrote  down  this  reveal- 
ing sentence :  "  The  pictures  I  like  best  are  the 
love  pictures  when  a  girl  has  to  run  away  without 
her  mother  or  father  knowing  about  it." 

There  is  not  a  home  in  America  where  children 
are  that  is  not  an  object  of  attack  by  the  foul  birds 
of  impurity. 

The  evil  beasts  of  intemperance  likewise 
threaten  the  home.  The  saloon  and  all  the  vile 
influences  of  the  drink  traffic  strike  at  the  very 
heart  of  the  family.  No  boy  or  girl  is  safe  from 
their  attacks.  These  beasts  are  vicious  and  they 
are  wary.  They  are  beasts  of  prey;  they  stalk 
their  game.  They  spring  upon  their  prey  from 
unsuspected  ambushes.  As  the  birds  by  day  and 
the  beasts  by  night  threatened  the  dead  bodies  of 
Rizpah's  sons,  so  the  living  sons  and  daughters 
of  the  mothers  of  today  are  imperilled  by  the  vul- 
tures of  poverty,  menaced  by  the  carrion  crows 
of  impurity,  endangered  by  the  voracious  beasts 
of  intemperance. 

Like  Rizpah,  the  militant  motherhood  of  our 


152    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


own  day  is  compelled  to  use  weapons  in  defense 
of  sons  and  daughters.  Rizpah  used  with  good 
eflfect  a  sword  or  perhaps  a  staff.  One  of  the 
weapons  that  mihtant  motherhood  may  wield  in 
defense  of  her  home  is  the  keen,  strong,  ever  de- 
pendable, weapon  of  prayer.  Most  potent  for  good 
are  a  mother's  prayers;  how  they  shield,  protect, 
and  save!  Hannah,  the  mother  of  Samuel,  exer- 
cised this  weapon  and  right  well  did  she  protect 
her  little  boy.  There  is  a  close  connection  between 
Samuel,  the  great  and  pure  character,  and  Hannah, 
the  devout  mother  praying  for  his  welfare.  John 
Randolph  of  Roanoke,  that  grand,  gloomy,  and  pe- 
culiar Virginian,  has  left  this  eloquent  testimony: 
"  I  would  have  been  an  infidel  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  remembrance  of  that  time  when  my  mother 
bade  me  kneel  by  her  side  and  repeat  the  prayer : 
'  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy 
name.' "  A  prayerless  mother  is  a  weaponless 
mother,  and  it  is  as  if  she  threw  away  every  de- 
fense of  her  home  and  surrendered  her  hapless 
brood  to  the  enemies  of  the  good  and  pure.  Dr. 
Theodore  Cuyler,  for  thirty  years  pastor  of  the 
Lafayette  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  Brooklyn, 
and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  preachers  of 
America,  thus  writes :  "  During  my  infancy  my 
godly  mother  dedicated  me  to  the  Lord  as  truly  as 
Hannah  ever  dedicated  her  son.  When  my  paternal 
grandfather,  who  was  a  lawyer,  offered  to  be- 
queath his  law  library  to  me  my  mother  declined 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  153 


the  tempting  offer  and  said  to  him :  '  I  expect 
that  my  little  boy  will  yet  be  a  minister.'  " 

When  young  Matthew  Simpson,  one  of  Meth- 
odism's greatest  bishops,  tremblingly  broke  the 
news  to  his  widowed  mother  that  he  felt  called  to 
preach,  she  exclaimed  with  tears  of  joy :  "  Oh, 
my  son,  I  have  prayed  for  this  hour  every  day 
since  you  were  born.  At  that  time  we  dedicated 
you  to  the  Christian  ministry."  Most  of  our  great 
and  useful  men  were  not  self-made  so  much  as 
they  were  mother-made,  and  by  mothers  who  be- 
lieved in  and  practised  fellowship  with  God  in 
prayer.  Praying  mothers  watched  over  the  lowly 
cribs  of  a  Lincoln  and  a  Garfield.  I  believe  in  the 
potency  of  prayer  in  general,  and  I  believe  with 
all  my  heart  in  the  potency  of  a  mother's  prayer 
in  particular.  Many  a  mother  carries  today  the 
burden  of  her  breaking  heart  for  a  wayward  son 
to  God  in  unceasing  prayer.  And  those  prayers 
shall  be  answered.  They  are  so  fraught  with 
love;  they  are  so  weighted  with  self-sacrifice;  God 
will  have  to  hear  them. 

"  If  I  were  hanged  on  the  highest  hill, 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine! 
I  know  whose  love  would  follow  me  still, 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine! 

"  If  I  were  drowned  in  the  deepest  sea. 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine! 
I  know  whose  tears  would  come  down  to  me. 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine! 


154    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


■'  If  I  were  damned  of  body  and  soul, 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine ! 
I  know  whose  prayers  would  make  me  whole, 
Mother  o'  mine,  O  mother  o'  mine !  " 

A  second  weapon  that  militant  motherhood  may 
turn  triumphantly  against  the  foes  of  her  children 
is  that  of  sympathetic  understanding  of  them; 
companionship  with  them  in  all  their  trials,  their 
hopes,  and  joys.  Mothers  who  have  the  confidence 
of  their  sons  and  daughters,  and  in  turn  are  made 
the  confidants  of  their  children — such  mothers  are 
as  Gibraltar  against  the  enemies  of  the  home.  The 
press,  and  even  the  pulpit,  have  in  recent  years 
condemned  the  "  conspiracy  of  silence "  on  the 
part  of  parents  regarding  instruction  in  the  matter 
of  sex.  For  the  most  part  such  agitation  was  wise 
and  has  borne  fruit.  Fathers  and  mothers  are 
God's  school-teachers  in  this  delicate  and  vital 
matter,  and  no  Christian  home  should  be  without 
this  necessary  instruction  from  the  fittest,  natur- 
ally, of  mortals,  to  impart  it. 

One  of  the  most  motherly  "  first  ladies  "  in  our 
land  ever  in  the  White  House  was  Mrs.  Lucy 
Webb-Hayes.  She  was  not  only  a  mother  to  her 
four  sons,  but  their  boon  companion  as  well.  Her 
sons  saved  their  choicest  jokes  for  her,  they  shared 
every  joy  and  triumph  with  her,  and  in  times  of 
doubt  and  perplexity  she  was  to  them  as  the 
"  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land."  There 
is  a  story  that  at  an  out-door  reception  a  man  with 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  155 


an  upturned  collar  and  a  turned-down  hat  pressed 
Mrs.  Hayes'  hand  in  the  Hne  of  visitors,  and 
blessed  her  for  her  interest  in  the  temperance 
cause.  Not  until  she  had  made  some  gracious 
reply  did  she  recognize  the  gleeful  face  of  one  of 
her  own  prankish  boys.  At  another  time  one  of 
the  boys  on  returning  home,  said  to  her :  "  Mother, 
just  unpack  my  satchel."  As  she  opened  it,  out 
jumped  two  bantam  chickens  protesting  loudly 
against  such  sudden  confinement,  while  mother 
and  son  laughed  loud  and  heartily  over  the  joke. 
While  her  husband  was  with  his  brigade  in  winter- 
quarters  during  the  Civil  War,  Mrs.  Hayes  and 
her  two  sons  spent  two  winters  in  the  West  Vir- 
ginia camp.  An  old  soldier,  a  member  of  the 
brigade,  thus  described  the  family  life  of  the 
Hayeses  in  camp :  "I  can  see  Mrs.  Hayes  now. 
Her  hair  smooth,  her  face  like  a  madonna's,  and 
two  or  three  little  boys  clinging  about  her  waist 
or  hugging  her  skirts  as  she  walked  among  the 
soldiers  to  ask  about  our  rations  or  our  quarters. 
We  named  our  camp  after  her  and  there  was  not 
a  man  in  all  those  thousands  but  would  have  died 
for  Lucy  Webb-Hayes."  Such  a  motherhood  is  a 
mightier  defense  of  the  home  than  a  cordon  of 
soldiery  armed  to  the  teeth. 

A  third  weapon — the  ballot — has  been  put  into 
the  hands  of  motherhood  in  some  of  the  states; 
by-and-bye  this  weapon  will  be  put  into  her  hands 
in  every  state  of  the  Union.    It  is  a  new  weapon 


156    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


and  an  efficient  one.  It  is  a  weapon  that  mother- 
hood has  needed  lo  these  many  years  to  defend 
the  home  from  manifold  enemies.  By  means  of 
this  convenient  weapon  miHtant  motherhood  is 
given  a  better  opportunity  in  her  fight  against  the 
foes  of  family.  Whether  or  not  a  woman  believes 
in  the  academic  question  of  woman  suffrage,  to 
ignore  this  mighty  weapon  is  a  tragedy. 

Illuminating,  indeed,  are  these  words  of  Jack 
London  in  his  memoirs  of  an  alcoholic  entitled 
"  John  Barleycorn."  "  The  women  are  the  true 
conservators  of  the  race.  The  men  are  the  was- 
trels, the  adventure-lovers,  and  gamblers;  and  in 
the  end  it  is  by  their  women  that  they  are  saved. 
About  man's  first  experiment  in  chemistry  was 
the  making  of  alcohol,  and  down  all  generations 
to  this  day  man  has  continued  to  manufacture  and 
drink  it.  And  there  has  never  been  a  day  when 
the  women  have  not  resented  a  man's  use  of 
alcohol,  though  they  have  never  had  the  power  to 
give  weight  to  their  resentment.  The  moment 
women  get  the  vote  in  any  community,  the  first 
thing  they  proceed  to  do,  or  try  to  do,  is  to  close 
the  saloons.  In  a  thousand  generations  to  come 
men,  of  themselves,  will  not  close  the  saloons.  As 
well  expect  the  morphine  victims  to  legislate  the 
sale  of  morphine  out  of  existence.  The  women 
know.  They  have  paid  an  incalculable  price  of 
sweat  and  tears  for  man's  use  of  alcohol.  Ever 
jealous  for  the  race,  they  will  legislate  for  the 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  157 


babes  of  boys  yet  to  be  born;  and  for  the  girls, 
too,  for  they  must  be  the  mothers,  wives,  and 
sisters  of  these  boys." 

It  is  with  the  ballot  that  motherhood  may  strike 
the  deadliest  blow  at  the  beasts  of  intemperance 
and  the  foul  birds  of  impurity. 

The  daring  deed  of  Rizpah  melted  the  heart  of 
David,  and  he  did  for  that  militant  mother  of  the 
long  ago  the  little  that  was  in  his  power  to  do. 
He  gave  the  bodies  of  her  sons  decent  burial,  and 
so  Rizpah's  vigil  was  not  in  vain.  She  attained 
all  that  she  fought  for :  she  successfully  kept  from 
her  beloved  dead  the  birds  and  beasts  that  sought 
to  prey  upon  them. 

Rizpah's  sons,  alas,  could  not  know  of  their 
mother's  heroic  devotion  and  she,  in  turn,  could 
receive  from  them  no  expression  of  gratitude  for 
her  tireless  vigil.  But  it  is  otherwise  with  the 
living  sons  and  daughters  of  our  modern  militant 
mothers.  There  is  yet  time  and  place  and  oppor- 
tunity for  grateful  expressions  of  mother's  sacri- 
fice and  her  unwearied  ministry  in  behalf  of 
her  children.  And  what  more  beautiful  service 
can  sons  and  daughters  render  than  consid- 
erate affection  and  undying  gratitude  for  mother 
love? 

A  few  years  ago  there  died,  after  a  brave  fight 
for  life,  a  noble  and  useful  man.  He  was  Gov- 
ernor of  Minnesota  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and 
prominently  mentioned  as  a  candidate  for  presi- 


158    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


dent  of  a  great  political  party.  His  life  career  is 
an  inspiration  to  every  boy  in  the  land.  His  home 
was  one  of  poverty  and  his  mother  took  in  washing 
to  support  the  family.  When  John  Johnson 
reached  the  age  of  thirteen  he  said  to  his  mother : 
"  Mother,  you  shan't  do  any  more  washings  for 
a  living.  Not  another  tub,  not  another  day's  work 
of  this  kind.  I  will  make  our  living  now."  And 
that  thirteen-year-old  boy  from  that  hour  sup- 
ported his  mother  and  took  a  heavy  burden  from 
ofif  her  drooping  shoulders.  Of  such  substance 
are  real  statesmen  made.  And  it  was  largely 
because  the  citizenship  of  Minnesota  knew  the 
kind  of  a  boy  John  Johnson  had  been  that  they 
elected  him,  a  Democrat,  governor  in  a  state  that 
was  overwhelmingly  Republican. 

The  unpayable  debt  of  militant  motherhood 
ought  to  be  recognized  by  sons  and  daughters  now. 
Mother  love  in  its  very  unselfishness  is  often 
accepted  as  a  matter  of  course  until  too  late  to 
speak  the  words  that  only  mother  could  fully  un- 
derstand and  appreciate.  Amidst  such  reflections 
on  mother  love  there  arises  before  me  the  scene 
of  a  never-to-be-forgotten  experience.  The  sea- 
son of  the  year  was  Christmas  and  the  day  was 
that  of  Christmas  Eve.  The  place  was  the  interior 
of  a  plain  little  home  and  the  occasion  was  the 
last  simple  service  of  the  church  for  a  mother 
who,  dying,  left  nine  children,  seven  very 
small.    Think  of  such  a  service  as  this  at  Christ- 


THE  MOTHER  HEART  159 


mastide  when  childhood's  splendid  fancies  run 
riot!  Never  did  death  seem  so  tragic  as  to  those 
of  us  gathered  there  that  grey  December  day.  The 
Scripture  reading,  the  prayer,  and  hymns  were 
alike  difficult,  almost  impossible,  so  violent  was 
the  wailing  of  the  motherless  nine.  The  brief 
service  over,  there  came  the  heart-breaking  mo- 
ments of  leave-taking.  Unable  to  endure  the 
pitiful  sight  I  turned  my  face  toward  the  wall 
only  to  discover  hanging  directly  in  front  of  me, 
in  modest  frame,  this  sentiment  in  verse: 

"  Mother  works  for  you, 
Looks  after  you, 
Loves  you,  forgives  you 
Anything  you  may  do. 

"  Understands  you ; 
And  then  the  only  thing 
Bad  she  ever  does  to  you 

Is  to  die 

And  leave  you." 

Oh,  Rizpah  of  the  Mother  Heart,  militant 
mother  of  the  long  ago,  may  your  heroic  vigil  in 
defense  of  your  slain  inspire  the  militant  mother- 
hood of  today  to  defend  their  living  progeny  from 
the  subtle  foes  that  threaten  every  home. 

Oh,  sons  and  daughters,  sublimely  sacrificed  for, 
bravely  defended,  speak,  I  pray  you,  the  gratitude 
of  your  hearts  to  mother  now;  break  the  box  of 
fragrant  ointment  as  Mary  did  for  Jesus  ere  He 
went  to  His  death  on  Calvary. 


160    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


GOD  OF  OUR  MOTHERS,  WE  PRAISE  THEE  FOR 
THOSE  WHO  MOTHERED  US  WHEN  MOST  WE  NEEDED 
THAT  HOLIEST  OF  MINISTRIES.  WE  SHALL  NEVER 
CEASE  PRAISING  THEE  FOR  THOSE  UNSELFISH  SOULS 
WHO  TAUGHT  US  PATIENCE,  FIDELITY,  AND  TRUST 
AND  THEREBY  MADE  US  KNOW  WHAT  THINE  OWN 
LOVE  IS  LIKE.  HELP  THOU  US  TO  BE  LIKE  THOSE 
GREAT  rtEARTS,  WHO,  HAVING  FINISHED  THEIR 
EARTHLY  CAREERS,  STILL  LIVE  IN  HALLOWED 
MEMORIES. 


XI 

THE  BESETTING  SIN 


"O  lead  me,  Lord,  that  I  may  lead 

The  wandering  and  the  wavering  feet, 

0  feed  me,  Lord,  that  I  may  feed 

The  hungering  ones  with  manna  sweet. 

"O  strengthen  me,  that  while  I  stand, 
Firm  on  the  Rock  and  strong  in  thee, 

1  may  stretch  out  a  loving  hand 

The  wrestlers  with  the  troubled  sea." 

Francis  Ridley  Havxrgal. 


XI 


THE  BESETTING  SIN 


"The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."— Hebrews  12:1. 
rriHIS  text  is  a  clause  from  a  sentence  which 


begins  with  the  word,  therefore,  and  the 


word,  therefore,  always  refers  the  reader 
back  to  something  that  has  gone  before.  The 
word,  therefore,  like  its  twin  brother,  wherefore, 
is  a  connecting  link  between  an  argument  and  a 
conclusion.  It  will  be  observed  by  students  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  that  many  chapters  of  the  New 
Testament  begin  with  either  the  words  wherefore, 
or  therefore.  Indeed,  of  the  thirteen  chapters 
of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  four  chapters  open 
with  one  or  the  other.  These  "  wherefores  "  and 
"  therefores  "  are  illustrative  of  a  fact  that  every 
reader  of  the  Bible,  and  particularly  the  New 
Testament,  ought  to  bear  in  mind,  that  the  chapter 
divisions  of  the  Bible  books  often  break  abruptly 
into  a  train  of  thought  and  that  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  the  only  satis- 
factory way  is  to  read  the  preceding  chapter,  and 
frequently  the  one  that  follows.  Or,  better  yet, 
read  the  Bible  book  by  book  if  you  would  master 
its  contents. 

The  first  and  second  verses  of  the  twelfth  chap- 


163 


164    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


ter  of  Hebrews  conclude  impressively  the  lofty 
eloquence  of  the  eleventh  chapter,  and  the  eleventh 
chapter  might  properly  be  entitled  the  "  Heroes 
of  the  Faith."  The  long  line  of  martyrs  and  wit- 
nesses is  there — Abel,  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob,  Joseph,  Moses,  Joshua,  Samuel, 
David— they  are  all  there.  And  the  unnamed 
great  are  there  "  who  through  faith  subdued  king- 
doms, wrought  righteousness,  obtained  promises, 
stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,"  and  they  are  all 
commended  for  their  fidelity.  Having  called  the 
roll  of  the  faithful,  the  writer  conceives  of  them 
as  a  vast  cloud  of  witnesses  assembled  as  specta- 
tors at  one  of  the  old  athletic  contests,  looking  on 
as  each  generation  of  their  successors  run  the 
Christian  race.  The  figure  is  striking  and  most 
interesting,  and  the  verses  are  climacteric. 
"  Therefore  let  us  also,  seeing  we  are  compassed 
about  with  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  lay  aside 
every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily 
beset  us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that 
is  set  before  us,  looking  unto  Jesus  the  author  and 
perfecter  of  our  faith,  who  for  the  joy  that  was 
set  before  Him  endured  the  cross,  despising  shame, 
and  hath  sat  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne 
of  God." 

This  is,  indeed,  a  profound  passage  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  a  most  fitting  conclusion  to  the  eloquent 
verses  that  precede  it.  But  attention  is  not 
invited  to  this  passage  as  a  whole,  but  to  a 


THE  BESETTING  SIN  165 


single  clause  of  this  great  sentence — "  The  sin 
which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  All  of  my  life  I 
have  heard  of  besetting  sins,  and  while  I  do  not 
remember  hearing  a  sermon  from  this  text,  this 
is  undoubtedly  the  origin  of  the  phrase. 

Examine  these  words  carefully,  "  The  sin  which 
doth  so  easily  beset  us."  In  the  margin  of  the 
Revised  Version  two  other  possible  renderings  of 
the  Greek  are  given  and  one  of  them  is  especially 
interesting.  It  is :  "  The  sin  which  doth  closely 
cling  to  us."  The  Modern  Speech  New  Testa- 
ment rendering  of  this  clause  is  "  The  sin  which 
doth  so  cleverly  entangle  us."  These  renderings 
are  as  flashlights  upon  the  teaching  of  this  text, 
they  carry  with  them  the  colour  and  spirit  of  the 
old-time  athletic  contests.  A  runner  is  about  to 
run  a  race,  he  girds  up  his  loins — that  is:  tucks 
the  loose  ends  of  his  outer  flowing  robe  under  his 
girdle,  and  with  nothing  to  impede  the  movements 
of  his  limbs  he  is  off  like  a  flash.  Imagine  this 
scene,  and  then  examine  these  words :  "  The  sin 
which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,"  that  is,  any  sin 
that  hinders,  embarrasses,  and  defeats. 

"  The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  The 
writer  may  have  in  mind  sin  in  general,  not  any 
specific  sin  at  all.  Sin  in  the  abstract,  for  instance 
that  power  of  evil  of  which  we  are  conscious 
sometimes  as  surrounding  us,  pressing  in,  and 
moving  against  us.  There  are  experiences  not 
uncommon  when  evil  seems  to  envelop  us  like  an 


166    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


awful  black,  damp,  threatening  peril  and  destruc- 
tion. I  have  been  indoors  during  a  heavy  storm 
when  the  wind  blew  a  gale  and  I  observed  the 
power  of  the  wind  as  it  pressed  its  force  against 
the  side  of  the  house  like  some  terrible  monster 
threatening  at  any  moment  to  topple  the  house 
over  and  overwhelm  me  with  destruction.  There 
are  times  when  sin  in  the  abstract  seems  so  to 
threaten  our  characters.  It  may  be  that  this  is  the 
idea  that  the  writer  has  in  mind,  sin  in  the  large, 
pressing  in,  besetting  us  on  all  sides  and  threat- 
ening to  overwhelm  us. 

"  The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  On 
the  other  hand  the  writer  may  have  in  mind  a 
specific  sin  and  if  so,  most  likely  the  sin  of  unbe- 
lief. He  has  called  the  roll  of  the  faithful,  he 
has  shown  how  by  faith  and  through  faith  the 
great  characters  of  Israel  served  God  and  man. 
And  over  against  this  accomplishment  of  faith 
he  warns  against  the  most  subtle  and  destructive 
sin  of  unbelief.  It  paralyzes,  it  destroys.  Let  a 
man  once  lose  faith  in  another  man  and  his  service 
for  that  man  is  at  an  end.  Lose  faith  in  God  and 
a  godly  life  is  impossible.  Faith  is  so  funda- 
mental, love  and  hope  are  fruitless  possessions 
without  faith.  And  the  writer  here  may  have  in 
mind  this  dreadful  sin  of  unbelief.  No  man  can 
run  the  Christian  race  so  handicapped,  so  harassed. 
As  the  loose  hanging  garment  might  trip  the 
runner  and  put  him  out  of  the  running,  so  this 


THE  BESETTING  SIN  167 


subtle  sin  of  unbelief  threatens,  yea  more,  insures 
defeat. 

But  whether  the  writer  of  these  words  has  in 
mind  sin  in  general,  or  a  specific  sin,  it  is  true  in 
either  case  that  there  are  temptations  to  which 
we  are  exposed,  certain  tendencies  and  weaknesses 
that  justify  the  phrase  "  besetting  sins." 

For  example:  there  are  the  sins  to  which  we 
are  exposed  by  temperament  or  disposition.  Un- 
questionably, we  inherit  tendencies  toward  certain 
habits.  There  is  a  vast  deal  in  heredity,  though 
not  everything.  Study  the  history  of  certain  fami- 
lies through  several  generations  and  peculiar  traits 
or  dispositions  may  be  traced  like  the  waters  of 
the  Missouri  river  as  they  mingle  with  the  Missis- 
sippi. It  may  be  a  quick,  violent  temper,  a  grasp- 
ing and  covetous  disposition,  a  weakness  for  alco- 
holic drinks,  a  disposition  to  falsify,  to  play  fast 
and  loose  with  truth,  or  a  jealous  and  envious 
disposition.  On  the  one  hand  these.  On  the 
other,  generosity,  hospitality,  a  kindly  and  lovable 
disposition,  a  large  and  forgiving  spirit,  a  reputa- 
tion for  honesty  and  sobriety  and  truthfulness. 
Hence  the  maxim :  "  It  runs  in  the  family." 
Every  neighbourhood,  in  its  comment  either  of 
approval  or  disapproval,  illustrates  this  truth  that 
there  are  traits  and  dispositions  for  good  or  evil 
handed  down  from  one  generation  to  another. 
Bearing  this  in  mind,  we  see  that  it  is  so  much 
easier  for  some  people  to  do  right  than  for  others. 


168    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


One  man,  for  example,  deserves  no  credit  for  not 
being  a  drunkard,  there  is  no  temptation  in  strong 
drink  for  him.  Another  man  fights  the  very  demon 
of  strong  drink  daily,  only  God  knows  the  rigour 
of  his  battles.  It  is  easy  for  one  man  to  be  honest, 
he  has  back  of  him  five  generations  of  honest  an- 
cestors, it  would  actually  be  hard  for  him  to  do 
a  dishonest  thing.  But  here  is  another  man  who 
is  the  product  of  generations  of  kinspeople  who 
were  dishonest,  and  the  temptation  that  this  man 
must  battle  with  continually  is  that  of  turning 
aside  from  the  path  of  integrity.  We  are  all  more 
or  less  exposed  to  sins  of  this  kind;  the  stream 
of  tendency  pours  steadily  upon  us,  these  heredi- 
tary influences  compass  us  upon  all  sides.  These 
besetting  sins  are  not  figments  of  the  mind,  they 
are  very  real,  they  seem  sometimes  almost  to  have 
personality;  if  we  are  to  conquer  them  we  must 
be  prepared  to  do  them  battle  royal. 

"  The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  There 
are  also  those  sins  to  which  we  are  exposed  by 
our  occupation  or  profession.  There  are  subtle 
temptations  that  confront  us  which  grow  out  of 
our  vocations.  The  doctor,  the  lawyer,  the  minis- 
ter, the  railroader,  the  politician,  the  salesman,  the 
editor,  the  tailor — every  business  and  profession 
offer  particular  and  peculiar  temptations.  There 
are  subtle  temptations  to  which  the  public 
speaker  is  subjected.  A  man  who  does  much 
public  speaking,  and  especially  if  he  does  it 


THE  BESETTING  SIN  169 


well,  is  always  on  the  brink  of  peril.  The  temp- 
tation to  exaggerate  is  ever  present.  Diamonds 
are  as  large  as  hazel  nuts,  mountains  as  high  as 
the  Himalayas,  automobiles  travel  seventy  miles 
an  hour, — these  ajid  kindred  superlatives  are  ever 
on  the  tip  of  the  tongue.  If  he  does  not  watch 
himself  under  the  spell  of  a  great  audience  the 
orator  will  find  himself  toying  with  the  truth  and 
speaking  not  at  all  as  the  facts  warrant.  The  fatal 
gift  of  fluency  has  been  the  tragic  undoing  of  many 
gifted  public  speakers.  The  besetting  sins  of  our 
vocations  must  be  taken  into  account,  they  are  not 
imaginary,  they  are  only  too  true.  They  must  be 
met  and  overcome. 

"  The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  Then, 
there  are  the  sins,  also,  that  beset  us  at  various 
ages.  The  sins  that  attract  us  in  youth,  the  sins  that 
beset  us  in  the  early  twenties,  the  sins  that  middle 
age  is  exposed  to,  and  the  sins  that  beset  even 
the  aged.  Every  period  of  life  has  its  special  perils. 
If  the  temptation  of  youth  is  to  have  its  fling,  so 
are  there  subtle  temptations  that  come  in  middle 
life  for  strange  and  tragic  departures  from  paths 
of  rectitude.  Some  one  has  coined  the  phrase: 
"  The  atheism  of  middle  age,"  and  thereby  has 
warned  us  of  that  perilous  period  between  the 
dash  and  optimism  of  youth  and  the  quietude  and 
poise  of  old  age. 

"  The  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us."  Many 
are  the  sins  to  which  we  are  exposed  through 


170    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


some  peculiar  weakness  of  character  either  from 
any  of  the  reasons  stated  above,  or  quite  apart 
from  them.  Even  the  strongest  character  has 
somewhere  a  weak  point.  Men  who  could  not  be 
tempted  by  money  may  be  tempted  by  position  and 
fame.  Men  that  you  could  not  buy  with  gold  may 
be  strangely  won  by  praise.  Every  man  has  his 
"  blind  side."  There  are  a  hundred  avenues  that 
lead  to  the  citadel  of  the  human  will  and  ninety- 
nine  of  them  may  be  closed  and  still  the  tempter 
find  entrance  by  way  of  the  one  hundredth  left 
unguarded.  It  is  related  in  the  Old  Testament  the 
manner  in  which  King  Ahab  met  his  death.  He 
went  out  to  battle  clad  in  his  armour  and  a  certain 
man  of  the  enemy  drew  his  bow  at  a  venture,  that 
is — without  taking  aim  at  any  one  in  particular, — 
and  his  arrow  smote  the  king  of  Israel  between 
the  joints  of  the  armour,  Ahab  died  at  evening 
of  that  same  day  from  the  effects  of  the  wound. 
We  do  well  to  examine  the  joints  of  our  armour; 
there  may  be  a  place  through  which  an  arrow  of 
the  evil  one  may  make  its  death-dealing  way. 

What  shall  we  do  with  the  sins  which  so  easily 
beset  us  ?  What  shall  be  our  attitude  toward  them  ? 
How  shall  we  be  able  to  overcome  them  ? 

Let  us  recognize  our  besetting  sins.  Self-rev- 
erence, self-knowledge,  self-control,  "  these  three 
alone,"  says  Tennyson,  "  lead  life  to  sovereign 
power."  "  Know  thyself,"  is  the  wise  advice  of  a 
great  man  of  another  day.  While  it  is  wrong  to 


THE  BESETTING  SIN  171 


brood  upon  one's  sins,  it  is  not  only  right  but  neces- 
sary to  know  one's  weakness.  It  is  better  to  study 
one's  self  and  find  out  one's  own  shortcomings 
than  to  be  busy  searching  out  the  shortcomings  of 
others  and  holding  them  up  as  targets  for  censure. 
Recognize  your  besetting  sins,  know  your  own 
weakness,  realize  your  most  vulnerable  point  and 
shield  it,  guard  it,  protect  it,  always. 

Let  us  try  to  correct  our  besetting  sins,  and 
not  be  too  sensitive  about  it.  It  is  related  that 
old  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  went  to  a  minister  with 
this  request :  "  Will  you  tell  me  what  are  the 
defects  of  my  life  so  I  may  mend  them  and  have 
forgiveness  for  them  ?  "  And  when  the  minister 
replied :  "  Well,  I  think  you  are  rather  hasty  in 
your  temper,  very  dogmatic,"  Dr.  Johnson  ex- 
claimed angrily :  "  What  ?  You  are  a  fool !  If 
there  is  one  thing  I  am  free  from  it  is  a  dogmatic 
hasty  temper;  get  out  of  my  sight,  sir." 

If  we  are  to  conquer  our  besetting  sins  we  shall 
have  to  be  humble  and  be  willing  to  learn.  And  the 
author  of  this  Epistle  has  shown  us  the  great  way 
to  overcome  the  sin  that  doth  so  easily  beset  us, 
the  wise  counsel  is  in  the  very  sentence  from  which 
this  text  is  taken :  "  Looking  unto  Jesus,"  is  the 
advice  he  gives  us.  God  be  praised  for  a  perfect 
example :  "  One  who  hath  been  in  all  points 
tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin."  If  there 
are  besetting  sins  let  us  thank  the  good  Father 
that  there  is  also  a  Besetting  God.  Says  the  Psalm- 


172    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


ist :  "  Thou  hast  beset  me  behind  and  before,  and 
laid  thy  hand  upon  me."  If  sin  be  around  us 
and  about  us,  thank  God  we  are  likewise  beset 
behind  and  before  and  all  about  us  by  love  of  One 
"  who  knoweth  our  frame." 

"  My  soul,  be  on  thy  guard ; 
Ten  thousand  foes  arise; 
The  hosts  of  sin  are  pressing  hard 
To  draw  thee  from  the  skies. 

"O  watch,  and  fight,  and  pray; 
The  battle  ne'er  give  o'er; 
Renew  it  boldly  every  day, 
And  help  divine  implore." 

ADORABLE  FATHER,  WE  BLESS  THEE  FOR  HIM 
WHO  IS  ABLE  TO  LIFT  US  FROM  OUT  OF  OURSELVES 
AND  TO  ESTABLISH  US  IN  THE  WAY  OF  HOLINESS 
FOREVER.  STRENGTHEN  US  TO  KEEP  OUR  EYES 
STEADFASTLY  ON  THE  AUTHOR  AND  PERFECTER  OF 
OUR  FAITH  WHO  HATH  BEEN  IN  ALL  POINTS 
TEMPTED  LIKE  AS  WE  ARE  YET  WITHOUT  SIN. 


XII 

CHRIST  THE  CREED 


"Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  I  want; 

Boundless  love  in  Thee  I  find: 
Raise  the  fallen,  cheer  the  faint, 

Heal  the  sick,  and  lead  the  blind. 
Just  and  holy  is  Thy  name. 

Prince  of  Peace  and  righteousness — 
Most  unworthy.  Lord,  I  am ; 

Thou  art  full  of  love  and  grace." 


XII 


CHRIST  THE  CREED 

"  She  saith  unto  him,  Yea,  Lord :  I  have  believed 
that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  even  he 
that  Cometh  into  the  world." — John  11:27. 

WHAT  a  pity  that  there  should  have  arisen 
any  controversy  over  Martha  and  Mary, 
any  setting  of  one  over  against  the 
other,  resulting  on  the  one  hand  in  undeserved 
depreciation  of  Martha,  and  on  the  other  in  ful- 
some praise  of  Mary.  Both  were  useful  women, 
both  were  good,  both  were  needed.  They  repre- 
sent two  types  of  mind,  two  temperaments,  two 
attitudes  toward  life.  Mary  was  the  pensive,  the 
poetic,  the  devout;  Martha  the  active,  the  alert, 
the  ministering.  In  the  Scriptures  from  which 
this  text  is  taken  the  marked  difference  be- 
tween the  sisters  is  seen.  When  it  was  learned  at 
Bethany  that  Jesus  was  coming  Martha  went  to 
meet  Him,  but  Mary  still  sat  in  the  house.  And 
this  difference  is  precisely  what  might  have  been 
expected — it  is  the  difference  between  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  between  Peter  and  John,  between  Luther 
and  Melanchthon.  Leaving  aside  the  tempera- 
mental unlikeness  of  the  sisters,  let  us  follow 
Martha  as  she  goes  to  meet  her  Lord.  When  she 
175 


176    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


comes  in  speaking  distance  of  Him  she  says: 
"  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had  not 
died.  And  even  now  I  know  that  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  ask  of  God,  God  will  give  thee.  Jesus  saith 
unto  her,  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again."  Martha 
replies :  "  I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the 
resurrection  at  the  last  day."  Then  Jesus  spoke 
those  large  and  comforting  words  that  have  been 
as  a  pillow  of  softest  down  for  earth's  weary  and 
grief-stricken  millions : — "  I  am  the  resurrection, 
and  the  life:  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though  he 
die,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  whosoever  liveth  and 
believeth  on  me  shall  never  die.  Believest  thou 
this  ?  "  Martha  answered :  "  Yea,  Lord :  I  have 
believed  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
even  he  that  cometh  into  the  world." 

These  words  of  Martha  invite  our  attention — 
this  noble  confession  of  her  faith  in  Christ.  In 
passing  it  may  profit  to  observe  that  this  confession 
of  Martha's  is  identical  in  substance  with  Simon 
Peter's  in  Csesarea  Philippi  when  Jesus  asked  him 
the  question :  "  Who  say  ye  that  I  am  ? " 
Stripped  of  all  verbiage  and  human  accretions, 
this  is  the  Divine  creed  of  Christendom.  This 
creed  of  Martha's  is  just  "  Jesus  Christ  "  and  that 
is  everything. 

This  creed  is  simple.  Is  a  simpler  creed  than 
this  conceivable?  It  is  within  the  range  of  the 
humblest  mind,  even  the  mind  of  a  little  child  can 
grasp  this  creed;  the  most  stupid  savage  in  the 


CHRIST  THE  CREED  177 


heart  of  darkest  Africa  or  the  South  Sea  Islands 
can  catch  its  gimmerings.  The  creed  is  concrete, 
reveahng  God  in  the  terms  of  flesh  and  blood. 
Travelling  through  the  mountains  of  the  south 
a  man  passed  a  little  cabin  on  the  hillside  in  front 
of  which  there  sat  on  the  doorstep  a  very  old 
black  woman,  "Living  all  alone,  Auntie?"  was 
his  kindly  query.  "  No,  suh,  jest  me  and  Jesus," 
she  answered.  In  her  own  way  the  devout  old 
woman  expressed  the  conviction  of  Charles  Wesley 
in  his  memorable  hymn :  "  Thou,  O  Christ,  art 
all  I  want." 

Minds  that  are  slow  to  see  God  in  star  or  rose 
or  on  old  ocean  or  hear  Him  in  oratorio,  perceive 
Him  in  Jesus  Christ  as  He  moves  through  Galilee, 
Judea,  and  Perea,  living  in  unbroken  fellowship 
with  God  and  in  tenderest  ministry  to  the  lowliest 
of  men.  The  simplicity  of  this  creed  is  altogether 
beautiful,  it  is  a  person — not  a  doctrine;  a  life — 
not  a  dogma;  not  a  crumpled  and  buried  religious 
enthusiast,  but  the  risen,  triumphant,  regnant 
Christ. 

This  creed  is  profound.  It  is  deep;  no  one  has 
ever  fathomed  fully  its  depths.  It  is  high;  no  one 
has  ever  ascended  its  heaven-kissing  heights.  It 
is  all-encompassing;  no  mind  ever  circled  it.  The 
greatest  intellects  have  bowed  in  reverence  before 
this  creed.  "  Our  divinest  symbol,"  Carlyle  calls 
it.  "  The  realized  ideal  of  humanity,"  affirms 
Herder.    "  The  highest  object  we  can  possibly 


178    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


imagine  in  respect  to  religion,  the  Being  without 
whose  presence  in  the  mind  perfect  piety  is  im- 
possible," confesses  Strauss.  "  The  divine  man, 
the  saint,  the  type  and  model  of  all  men,"  attests 
Goethe.  "  The  most  beautiful  incarnation  of  God 
— God  in  man,"  cries  Renan.  Comes  also  Brown- 
ing: 

"  I  say  the  acknowledgment  of  God  in  Christ, 
Accepted  by  the  reason,  solves  for  thee 
All  questions  in  the  earth  and  out  of  it." 

Galileo,  Kepler,  Bacon,  Newton,  and  a  great 
company  of  other  cathedral-minded  men  have  set 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  above  every  name.  The 
world  has  had  nearly  two  thousand  years  to  learn 
of  Him  and  the  world  has  learned  much,  and  yet 
there  are  profundities  in  Jesus'  teaching  and  char- 
acter not  yet  explored  by  the  most  massive  minds. 

This  creed  is  comprehensive.  It  is  both  inclu- 
sive and  conclusive.  It  is  possible  to  have  pro- 
fundity without  comprehensiveness.  In  Jesus 
Christ  are  both.  To  believe  on  Him,  to  seek  His 
mind,  is  to  enter  new  paths  to  power  with  God 
and  man.  There  is  such  tremendous  sweep  to  His 
teachings,  such  wide  range  and  rich  versatility 
in  His  mind.  In  Him  are  the  finest  and  highest 
of  ethical  standards  as,  for  example,  the  surpass- 
ingly wonderful  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  In  Him 
are  the  choicest  principles  of  conduct  applying  to 
every  human  and  Divine  relationship.    There  is 


CHRIST  THE  CREED  179 


not  a  side,  an  aspect,  a  phase,  nor  an  experience 
of  human  Hfe  that  is  not  included  in  this  Christ 
the  Creed!  God,  man,  sin,  justice,  grace,  mercy, 
brotherhood — they  are  all  comprehended  in  Him. 

This  creed  is  practical.  It  is  workable.  With 
great  heights  of  idealism  on  the  one  hand  it  is 
linked  to  the  lowliest  walks  of  ministry  on  the 
other.  It  appeals  not  merely  to  the  intellect  but 
also  to  the  love  faculty  in  humanity — the  affec- 
tions. Men  who  know  nothing  of  the  metaphys- 
ical aspects  of  Christ's  divinity  and  care  less,  see 
in  Him  the  beneficent  example  of  gentle  and  min- 
istering life.  John  Stuart  Mill,  observing  the 
practical  nature  of  Christ's  teaching,  said :  "  There 
is  no  better  rule  than  so  to  live  that  Christ  would 
approve  your  life."  This  creed  cannot  be  hon- 
estly accepted  without  the  fruitage  of  a  life  over- 
flowing with  love  for  God  and  man.  This  creed 
centres  in  Him  whose  earthly  ministry  was 
summed  up  in  the  eloquent  sentence :  "  He  went 
about  doing  good." 

This  simple,  profound,  comprehensive,  and  prac- 
tical creed  needs  no  revision.  Human  doctrines 
about  Christ  need  to  be  revised;  in  truth,  they 
must  undergo  revision.  Our  opinions  change,  our 
views  grow,  we  learn  truth  from  various  angles, 
but  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same,  yesterday,  today, 
and  forever.  Even  so,  this  is  a  growing  creed; 
the  centuries  are  still  in  full  chase  after  the  Christ 
and  He  is  still  far  ahead.   We  cannot  revise  Him, 


180    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


there  is  no  need  that  we  should;  but  there  is  every 
need  that  He  revise  us.  We  need  to  bring  our- 
selves to  this  creed  and  be  measured  by  Him 
instead  of  attempting  to  measure  Him  by  our- 
selves. What  an  all-sufficient  creed  is  this  Christ 
of  God,  living — not  dead,  whom  Martha  confessed 
long  years  ago ! 

Acceptance  of  this  creed  combines  loyalty  with 
the  widest  liberty.  If  there  be  loyalty  to  the  Lord- 
ship of  Jesus  then  there  may  be  the  widest  liberty 
in  methods  and  opinions.  It  must  be  apparent 
that  there  can  be  no  unity  of  opinion  on  various 
phases  of  Scriptural  subjects  interesting,  though 
not  vital,  such  as  the  nature  of  the  resurrection, 
the  state  of  the  dead,  the  manner  and  time  of  our 
Lord's  second  advent.  But  if  there  be  loyalty  to 
Christ  as  Lord  and  Leader  of  our  lives,  liberty 
of  opinion  may  be  held  in  broadest  charity.  Has 
not  the  time  fully  come  when  churches  should 
exemplify  the  wisdom  of  requiring  only  belief 
in  this  creed  without  attempting  to  define  the 
nature  of  Christ  either  as  to  His  humanity  or 
His  divinity?  Such  definitions  at  their  best  are 
speculative.  Neither  the  terms  "  Unitarian  "  or 
"  Trinitarian  "  occur  in  the  Scriptures,  they  are 
products  of  theology,  they  are  confusing  and  devi- 
sive.  On  the  one  hand,  schools  of  theology  have 
grouped  parties  about  "  Jesus  "  and  ignored  or  be- 
little His  Lordship.  On  the  other  hand,  parties 
have  grouped  their  followers  about  "  Christ "  and 


CHRIST  THE  CREED  181 


quite  disregarded  Jesus  and  His  humanity.  What 
a  tremendous  gain  it  would  be  for  the  unity  of 
the  church  if  only  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  were 
required,  without  attempting  to  go  into  interpre- 
tations of  His  person,  insisting  only  on  allegiance 
to  Him  as  the  all-sufficient  Mediator  between  God 
and  man  and  the  full  and  soul-satisfying  answer 
to  Philip's  pathetic  plaint :  "  Show  us  the  Father 
and  it  sufficeth  us." 

Christendom  has  suffered  "  more  than  tongue 
can  tell  "  because  of  human  creeds  which,  while 
made  in  unquestionable  sincerity,  have  been  the 
fertile  cause  of  division  among  Christ's  followers. 
That  was  a  wise  word  spoken  by  Thomas  Campbell, 
a  great  Apostle  of  Christian  unity,  who,  more  than 
a  hundred  years  ago,  thus  averred :  "  If  a  creed 
contains  more  than  is  in  the  Bible  it  contains  too 
much;  if  it  contains  less  than  is  in  the  Bible  it 
contains  too  little;  if  it  contains  precisely  what  is 
in  the  Bible  it  is  unnecessary."  It  is  occasion  for 
gratitude  that  human  creeds  and  confessions  of 
faith  bulk  little  today  as  compared  with  half  a 
century  ago;  let  us  hope  that  they  will  bulk  less 
and  less  as  the  years  come  and  go,  while  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  all-sufficient  creed  of  Christendom, 
will  emerge  more  and  more  from  out  the 
historic  confessions  like  some  mighty  mountain 
peak. 

I  have  recently  read  the  spiritual  biography  of 
Benjamin  Fay  Mills  and  found  it  of  entrancing 


182    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


interest.  Dr.  Mills  had  a  most  extraordinary 
career.  From  1886  to  1897  he  was  one  of 
America's  most  eminent  and  successful  evangelists. 
Then  his  theology  became  greatly  liberalized  and 
he  turned  to  other  "  flower  fields  of  the  soul  "  for 
spiritual  nourishment.  He  took  up  theosophy  and 
became  a  lecturer  for  that  cult.  For  some  years 
he  occupied  the  pulpit  of  an  ultra-liberal  church  on 
the  Pacific  Coast.  For  fifteen  years  he  devoted 
himself  to  study,  meditation,  and  prayer,  that  he 
might  discover  an  "  essential,  simple,  practical,  and 
universal  rule  of  life  which  if  obeyed  would 
solve  all  of  man's  individual  and  social  problems." 
And,  now  recently,  B.  Fay  Mills  has  come  back 
to  the  ministry  from  which  he  withdrew.  The 
account  of  his  struggles  for  peace  of  soul  is  a  most 
revealing  document.  Noteworthy,  indeed,  is  his 
confession  that  this  simple  creed  of  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  Son  of  God,  alone  satisfied  his  soul's  deepest 
longings.  Pathos  and  beauty  commingle  as  this 
seeker  after  God  bares  his  very  soul  in  contrite 
confession.  "  I  have  had  a  creed,"  writes  Dr. 
Mills,  "  and  it  is  this :  I  believe  the  best  I  can 
think,  being  fully  persuaded  that  if  what  now  I 
think  be  not  the  truth  it  is  because  the  Truth 
transcends  my  present  power  of  thought.  I  still 
hold  this  creed,  but  in  my  own  ignorance  and 
limitations  I  have  felt  the  need  of  a  Spiritual 
Master,  and  for  myself  and  the  world  I  have  felt 
the  need  of  a  Divine  Saviour,  a  need  that  if  it 


CHRIST  THE  CREED 


183 


is  met  at  all  is  met  once  for  all  in  Christ.  Jesus 
Christ  to  me  is  uniquely  divine,  and  while  I  would 
joyfully  acknowledge  the  '  True  Light  that  light- 
eth  every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world,'  and 
that  '  God  may  be  seen  God,  in  the  star  and  the 
stone  and  the  soul  and  the  flesh  and  the  clod,'  I 
have  come  to  believe  that  in  all  the  cases,  even 
to  the  greatest  of  Christless  seers,  it  may  truly  be 
said  that  '  the  Light  shineth  in  the  darkness  and 
the  darkness  apprehendeth  it  not.'  I  think  I  have 
needed  my  experience  to  prove  the  incompleteness 
of  the  best  man  has  known  apart  from  Christ 
and  sufficiency  of  Christ;  to  enable  me  to  speak 
as  a  Greek  to  Greeks,  a  Jew  to  Jews,  an  agnostic 
to  agnostics,  a  pantheist  to  pantheists.  I  cannot 
say  I  have  acted  contrary  to  the  light  I  have  had, 
but  I  regret  any  obstacles  I  may  have  placed  in 
the  way  of  any  soul  or  in  the  path  of  the  progress 
of  the  church,  and  I  ask  all  to  whose  attention 
these  words  may  come  to  pray  that  the  Master's 
words  may  be  fulfilled  in  me, — '  Every  branch  in 
me  that  beareth  fruit.  He  purgeth  it  that  it  may 
bring  more  fruit.'  " 

Thus  B.  Fay  Mills  turns  again  to  Christ  the 
Creed,  bringing  with  him  "  the  fruits  and  flow- 
ers "  of  painstaking  study  and  long  reflection, 
laying  them  every  one  on  the  altar  of  his  Lord. 
There  is  something  tender  and  beautiful  in  the 
experience  of  this  distinguished  minister  and  there 
is  this  much  more — a  suggestion  of  the  rich  fruit- 


184.    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


age  that  will  result  when  seekers  after  God  the 
world  over  come  bringing  their  all  to  the  Christ. 

"  Our  little  systems  have  their  day ; 

They  have  their  day  and  cease  to  be: 
They  are  but  broken  lights  of  thee, 
And  thou,  O  Lord,  art  more  than  they." 

O  CHRIST,  THOU  CREED  OF  MARTHA,  OF  PETER, 
OF  PAUL,  OF  JOHN  THE  BELOVED,  WE  REST  OUR 
WEARY  SOULS  IN  THEE.  THOU  AND  THOU  ALONE 
HAST  THE  WORDS  OF  ETERNAL  LIFE.  FORGIVE  OUR 
CONTROVERSIES  OVER  WORDS  AND  NAMES  AND  AS 
THOU  AND  THE  FATHER  ART  ONE  SO  MAY  WE  ALL 
FIND  GLORIOUS  ONENESS  IN  THEE. 


XIII 

THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH 


"  O  brother-man !  the  Master  seeks 

Today  for  men ; 
Cause  not  the  Lord,  by  thy  delay, 

To  call  again. 
Gigantic  ills  oppress  the  land — 
There's  want  and  woe  on  every  hand ; 
For  God  and  right  take  valiant  stand — 

Be  faithful  then! 

"  O  brother-man  !  now  is  the  time 

In  which  to  live; 
The  Future  is  no  mighty  god 

With  power  to  give. 
Do  what  thou  hast  to  do  today ! 
From  present  needs  turn  not  away! 
Let  sloth  nor  ease  cause  no  delay — 

Live  !  brother,  live !  " 

S.  S.  Shepherd. 


XIII 


THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH 


"I  have  kept  the  faith." — //  Timothy  4:7. 

F  all  the  places  in  Rome  about  which  Chris- 


tian history  was  made,  none  is  so  impres- 


sive as  the  old  Mamertine  prison.  In  all 
probability  that  ancient  bastile  contains  the  identical 
dungeon  in  which  Paul  was  confined  and  where 
he  wrote  the  second  epistle  to  Timothy.  You  go 
down  a  flight  of  stairs  of  steep  descent  and  find  at 
the  bottom  a  dimly  lighted  cell.  The  sides  are  of 
rough  and  jagged  stone  and  the  floor  is  of  smooth 
slabs.  The  place  is  damp  and  a  musty  odour  taints 
the  atmosphere.  Nearby  the  yellow  Tiber  flows. 
Here  were  confined  some  famous  politicians  and 
soldiers,  and  the  story  of  their  lives  is  dark  with 
tragedy.  The  chief  interest  which  this  cell  has 
for  us  is  that  it  was  probably  the  prison  of  Paul. 
Here  he  may  have  lived  for  several  months.  Here, 
perhaps,  Luke  visited  and  remained  to  comfort 
him.  Here  Demas  was  his  companion  until  he 
forsook  the  Apostle  and  left  him  to  meet  his  fate 
at  the  hands  of  pagan  Rome.  Here  lived  Paul 
while  without,  the  Romans  consorted  and  con- 
spired, or  "  drove  in  furious  guise  along  the 
Appian  Way." 


187 


188    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Without  was  the  Circus  Maximus,  filled  daily 
with  pleasure  lovers  for  whom  the  gladiators 
fought  while  the  multitude  applauded  wildly.  The 
devil,  in  the  form  of  Nero,  was  on  the  throne,  and 
in  a  little  while  he  was  to  let  loose  the  fires  of 
hell  upon  the  company  of  defenseless  Christians. 
And  from  this  cell,  in  all  likelihood,  went  forth 
the  last  letter  that  Paul  ever  wrote. 

"  I  have  kept  the  faith."  What  is  meant  by 
the  word  faith  here?  What  is  it  that  Paul  had 
kept  to  the  very  end?  What  does  the  Apostle 
mean?  It  is  comparatively  easy  to  show  what 
he  did  not  mean.  For  one  thing,  the  word  faith 
here  surely  does  not  mean  a  set  of  doctrines,  a 
formal  theology,  or  a  credal  pronouncement. 
Paul  might  have  held  a  mental  assent  to  a  dozen 
doctrines  of  Christianity  and  not  lost  as  much  as 
a  night's  sleep,  much  less  a  drop  of  blood  in  be- 
half of  the  Christian  religion.  Speaking  in  gen- 
eral terms,  the  word  faith  may  here  be  rendered 
life.  "  I  have  lived  the  life."  When  Paul  was 
converted  to  Christianity  he  became  a  new  creature 
and  to  the  end  that  new  creation  was  continuous. 
Daily  he  was  made  over.  Daily  he  died  to  the  old 
life  and  rose  again  to  the  new.  To  the  end  of 
his  days  he  was  a  growing  Christian  with  an  ex- 
perience of  soul  expansion  and  enlargening  vision. 

Or,  again,  the  word  faith  here  may  refer  to 
the  vow  or  pledge  Paul  made  on  that  Damascus 
way  when  he  saw  the  Risen  Christ.    That  vision 


THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH  189 


transformed  Paul's  life,  or  rather  it  was  the  be- 
ginning of  the  .transformation.  Standing  before 
King  Herod  Aprippa,  Paul  referred  to  this  Divine 
event  and  exclaimed:  "Wherefore,  O  king,  I 
was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  Vision." 
Here  he  writes :  "  I  have  kept  the  vow,  I  have 
lived  the  life."  It  is  as  if  Damon  were  dying,  and, 
looking  in  the  face  of  his  beloved  Pythias,  said: 
"  I  have  kept  the  vow."  It  is  as  if  Jonathan  were 
on  his  deathbed,  and  clasping  the  hand  of  David 
exclaims:  "My  brother,  I  have  kept  the  vow." 
It  is  as  when  Nathan  Hale  was  led  out  to  die,  and, 
turning  his  strong  young  patriot's  face  to  the 
company  of  British  soldiers,  said :  "  My  only 
regret  is  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  give  for  my 
country.    I  have  kept  the  faith." 

So  much  then  for  what  it  was  Paul  kept — not 
a  set  of  doctrines,  but  a  life — not  a  formal  the- 
ology, but  the  passion  of  a  spirit — not  a  solemn 
ceremony,  but  a  covenant  made  with  none  other 
than  the  Christ,  Himself, — "I  have  kept  the 
faith."  And  how,  pray?  By  what  means — after 
what  fashion — did  he  keep  the  vow  and  live  the 
life  and  make  room  for  the  Spirit?  I  fancy  a 
great  many  of  us  are  more  interested  in  the  faith 
keeping  us  than  we  are  in  keeping  the  faith.  This 
may  be  due  to  wrong  conceptions  of  Christianity, 
or  to  indifference,  or  to  both.  How  strange  it  is 
that  we  reason  differently  when  we  come  to  things 
spiritual  than  we  do  in  any  other  realm  of 


190    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


thought!  No  student  thinks  that  mere  matricu- 
lation in  a  college  will  provide  his  education.  Only 
a  dunderhead  would  so  believe.  No  man  when 
he  opens  a  store  or  shop  or  bank  believes  for  a 
minute  that  the  mere  opening  of  store  or  shop 
or  bank  is  sufficient.  He  knows  it  is  not  sufficient. 
His  personality  must  be  invested.  There  are  cus- 
tomers to  please;  goods  to  be  bought  and  sold; 
the  business  has  to  be  carefully  started  and  per- 
sistently followed  up. 

A  man's  business,  if  it  be  successful,  is  not  an 
incident  in  his  life,  but  in  a  sense  life  itself.  A 
man  buys  a  farm.  Behold  the  virgin  fields  tanta- 
lizing in  their  fallowness!  Sun,  rain,  and  soil 
will,  when  combined  with  intelligent  sowing, 
weeding,  plowing,  harvesting,  and  crop  rotation, 
produce  certain  results,  but  not  without  man's 
labour.  Working  together  God  and  the  farmer 
will  obtain  a  rich  fruitage  from  garden,  orchard, 
and  field. 

It  is  not  different  when  we  come  to  religion. 
God  and  man  must  still  work  together.  To  the 
Philippians  Paul  wrote :  "  Work  out  your  own 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling;  for  it  is  God 
who  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  work,  for 
His  good  pleasure."  Paul  kept  the  faith  by  giving 
himself  in  magnificent  ministry  to  mankind. 
There  is  no  other  way  to  keep  the  faith.  A  man 
cannot  enclose  his  faith  in  a  Sunday  suit,  or  fence 
it  with  the  Christian  ordinances,  nor  build  battle- 


THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH  191 


ments  of  Biblical  texts  about  it  and  then  say :  "  I 
have  it  here !  "  Lo,  when  he  examines  himself,  to 
his  astonishment,  he  cannot  find  what  he  thought 
he  had. 

Jesus'  parable  of  the  pounds  illustrates  the  folly 
and  futility  of  such  an  endeavour.  A  certain 
nobleman  about  to  go  to  a  far  country  called  his 
servants  and  entrusted  each  with  a  pound  (about 
seventeen  dollars)  and  said:  "Trade  ye  herewith 
until  I  return."  Make  an  investment — go  to  work. 
In  the  course  of  time  the  nobleman  returned,  the 
servants  were  summoned  to  give  an  account. 
One  had  earned  with  his  pound  ten  pounds.  He 
was  warmly  commended.  Another  had  with  his 
pound  earned  five  pounds.  He,  also,  was  com- 
mended, though  not  so  cordially.  A  third  servant 
unrolled  his  pound  from  a  napkin  where  he  had 
preserved  it  and  apologetically  explained  that  he 
was  afraid  of  losing  what  he  had  been  given, 
therefore  he  had  kept  it  for  his  master  intact. 
And  the  nobleman  was  angered  and  took  away 
this  pound  and  gave  it  to  the  man  who  already 
had  ten. 

At  first  blush  this  seems  unjust — on  second 
thought  it  appears  exactly  just.  Men  always  lose 
what  they  seek  selfishly  to  keep.  Sometimes  this 
may  not  seem  to  be  true;  yet  when  the  final  bal- 
ances are  made  it  has  to  be  true.  The  pitiful 
weakness  of  the  church  is  that  so  many  nominal 
members  do  that  very  thing.    They  seek  to  keep 


192    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  faith  in  that  way  and  they  lose  the  faith  by 
that  very  process.  A  man  can  keep  the  faith  only 
by  going  on.  He  compromises  the  faith  by  stand- 
ing still.  He  betrays  the  faith  when  he  goes  back. 
Paul  kept  the  faith  by  losing  his  life  and  so  be- 
came "  heir  of  the  righteousness  which  is  accord- 
ing to  faith." 

The  keepers  of  the  faith  are  the  world's  sav- 
iours. Humanity  has  ever  been  helped  to  march 
Godward  by  men  who  have  thus  kept  the  faith; 
men  who  have  cherished  ideals  high  and  noble  and 
have  cherished  them  to  the  very  end.  Of  the  many 
great  sentences  Paul  wrote  none  is  more  eloquent 
than  this  one  from  his  second  epistle  to  the  Cor- 
inthian Christians :  "  I  am  willing  to  spend  and 
be  spent  for  your  souls."  That  was  the  manner 
in  which  he  kept  the  faith;  and  every  soul,  whether 
in  the  limelight  of  publicity  or  in  the  obscurity  of 
homely  toil,  has  kept  the  faith  by  living  the  life 
and  embodying  the  principle  of  fidelity  to  ideals 
hard  to  achieve  and  harder  still  to  preserve.  Many 
a  young  woman  of  that  great  company  who  toil 
for  wages  has  kept  the  faith  with  virtue  by  renun- 
ciation and  ministry  of  self  to  worthy  goals. 
Many  a  man  sorely  tempted  to  be  dishonest  has  kept 
the  faith  by  living  his  life  on  the  high  level  of  his 
ideals  despite  manifold  hindrances.  You  can 
hinder  and  harass  such  characters,  but  you  cannot 
overcome  them;  you  can  beat  them  down  but  you 
cannot  blot  them  out. 


THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH  193 


In  the  wee  small  hours  of  a  night  session  of  a 
national  political  convention  a  great  leader,  after 
two  nights  without  sleep — and  suffering  with  a 
heavy  cold,  went  on  the  platform  to  address  the 
thousands.  So  far  as  human  eyes  could  see,  he 
was  defeated  as  a  moulder  of  his  party's  thought. 
He  was  far  in  advance  of  his  party  and  the  people 
generally.  They  had  not  caught  up  with  him.  He 
was  and  is  a  prophet.  And  that  man  spoke  to 
those  delegates  assembled  these  pulsating  words: 
"  You  may  dispute  whether  I  have  fought  a  good 
fight,  you  may  dispute  whether  I  have  finished  my 
course,  but  you  cannot  deny  that  I  have  kept  the 
faith."  Nor  could  they.  Strong  men  wept  when 
he  said  that, — the  words  rang  with  the  high  note 
of  sincerity. 

But  this  Tentmaker  of  Tarsus  could  affirm  it 
all  without  disputation :  "I  have  fought  the  good 
fight,  I  have  kept  the  faith,  I  have  finished  the 
course."  And  every  word  of  this  was  grandly 
true.  What  I  am  anxious  to  have  you  believe  is 
this:  a  man  may  fail  in  his  methods,  he  may 
bring  defeat  upon  himself  and  his  followers  in 
the  advocacy  of  certain  principles  or  policies,  but 
if  his  life  rings  true  to  lofty  ideals  he  has  kept 
the  faith  and  you  cannot  gainsay  him. 

"  They  who  have  strewn  the  violets  reap  the  corn, 
And  having  reaped  and  garnered,  bring  the  plough, 
And  draw  new  furrows  'neath  the  healthy  morn, 
And  plant  the  great  Hereafter  in  the  Now." 


194    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


I  remember  meeting,  some  years  ago,  "  Golden 
Rule  "  Samuel  M.  Jones,  the  famous  three-term 
mayor  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  the  man  without  a  party 
whose  only  rule  was  "  Whatsoever  ye  would  that 
men  should  do  unto  you,  even  so  do  ye  also  unto 
them,"  and  whose  practice  of  this  rule  was  literal 
and  love-wrought.  I  recall  how  that  big  freckled 
hand  looked  as  I  clasped  it;  I  delighted  in  the 
twinkle  of  his  blue  eyes;  I  felt  the  power  of  the 
man's  simple  life,  his  rugged  personality,  and  all 
because  he  was  keeping  the  faith  as  he  saw  it  so 
magnificently.  A  little  while  after  that,  "  Golden 
Rule  "  Samuel  M.  Jones  died.  There  is  no  monu- 
ment to  him  in  Toledo  so  far  as  I  know,  but  if 
you  speak  his  name  in  praise  there,  you  will  bind 
the  common  people  to  you  by  bands  as  strong 
as  steel.  They  believed  in  him  because  he  believed 
in  them  and  trusted  him  to  the  fullest. 

I  read  recently  in  the  Christmas  number  of  a 
well-known  magazine,  a  story  entitled :  "  The  Girl 
Who  Walked  Without  Fear."  That  story  moved 
me  as  only  a  few  stories  have.  I  tried  to  read 
that  story  out  loud  to  others  and  a  sorry  success 
I  made.  I  had  to  stop,  I  had  to  take  out  my  hand- 
kerchief, I  lost  my  place — I  could  not  go  on.  I 
am  not  sure  of  myself  now  to  tell  that  story  in 
detail,  but  this  is  the  substance  of  it:  a  lovely 
little  Chinese  girl,  a  Christian,  brought  up  in 
the  home  of  missionaries,  came  to  America 
with  her  benefactors.    This  little  girl,  just  bud- 


THE  KEEPING  OF  THE  FAITH  195 


ding  into  winsome  maidenhood,  believed  that 
everybody — think  of  it — everybody  in  America 
•wzs  a  Christian  and  therefore  could  be  trusted 
implicitly.  Like  a  good  angel  from  a  better  land 
than  ours  that  demure  little  maid  walked  through 
New  York's  streets  on  Christmas  Eve  unafraid, 
thinking  no  evil,  believing  all  pure  in  heart,  at 
peace  with  God  and  man.  And  as  she  went  she 
imparted,  and  all  unconsciously,  her  spirit  of  faith 
to  a  poor,  shivering  tramp  contemplating  suicide 
in  the  icy  water;  to  a  crafty,  cynical,  meagre-lived 
newsboy;  to  two  mothers,  one  poor  and  worn  and 
the  other  rich  and  lonely;  to  two  shopgirls  in  a 
department  store,  one  of  whom  was  motherless 
and  sorely  tempted,  and  both  imperilled;  imparted 
such  faith,  such  hope,  that  the  tramp  took  courage, 
the  newsboy  went  to  church,  the  mothers  found 
peace,  the  shopgirls  saw  a  great  light,  and  all  came 
under  the  spell  of  Christmas  Eve  and  by  faith 
they,  like  their  benefactor,  beheld  Bethlehem — 
the  birthplace  of  our  Lord,  and  felt  the  unseen 
presence  of  the  Saviour  round  and  about  them. 

Are  we  keeping  the  faith  or  are  we  trying  to 
make  ourselves  believe  the  faith  can  keep  us  quite 
apart  from  what  we  do,  or  think,  or  how  we 
love?  Do  we  believe  in  saying  prayers,  or  do 
we  believe  in  prayer?  God  is  good,  God  is  love, 
God  is  wise;  but  goodness  and  love  and  wisdom 
cannot  get  to  us  if  we  close  the  doors  of  our  lives 
against  them,  and  if  we  invite  them  in  and  close 


196    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  door  upon  them  they  shrivel  and  die  for  want 
of  food  and  exercise. 

"  A  creed  is  a  rod, 
And  a  crown  is  of  night; 
But  this  thing  is  of  God — 
To  be  man  with  thy  might; 
To  grow  straight  in  the  strength 
Of  thy  spirit, 

And  live  out  thy  Hfe  as  the  light." 

GREAT  TEACHER,  INSPIRE  US  TO  MASTER  THE 
HARD  LESSON  OF  LOYALTY.  STEADY  OUR  WAVER- 
ING PURPOSES.  STRENGTH  OUR  FLABBY  WILLS. 
KEEP  BACK  THY  SERVANTS  ALSO  FROM  PRESUMP- 
TUOUS SINS,  LET  THEM  NOT  HAVE  DOMINION  OVER 
US,  THAT  WE  MAY  BE  WORTHY  TO  WALK  IN  WHITE 
WITH  ALL  THOSE  WHO  HAVE  KEPT  THE  FAITH. 


XIV 

CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS 


"  One  stone  the  more  swings  to  her  place 
In  that  dread  temple  of  Thy  worth; 
It  is  enough  that  through  Thy  grace, 
I  saw  nought  common  on  Thy  earth." 

RuDYARD  Kipling. 


XIV 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS 

"But  because  of  the  multitude  I  said  it."— John  11:42. 

WHAT  Italian  skies  and  sunsets  are  to  the 
artistic  minded,  so  to  the  seekers  after 
God  is  this  eleventh  chapter  of  John. 
It  would  be  well  if  all  Christians  read  this  precious 
Scripture  at  least  once  a  week.    There  are  three 
things  that  contribute  to  the  value  of  this  chapter. 

In  the  first  place:  the  narrative  is  as  a  flash- 
light upon  the  most  intimate  friendship  of  Jesus' 
life,  revealing  both  the  tenderness  and  the  strength 
of  such  a  blessed  bond.  Public  characters  may 
have  numerous  acquaintances,  but  not  very  many 
close  friends.  The  fact  that  so  many  have  a  claim 
on  them  is  one  reason  why  few  have  special  claim. 
Besides,  one's  friends  can  never  be  as  numerous 
as  one's  acquaintances.  Jesus  was  at  home  in 
Bethany.  There  he  could  relax  and  enjoy  to  the 
fullest,  love  and  hospitality.  Some  day,  perhaps, 
an  artist  will  paint  as  his  masterpiece  the  Bethany 
home  with  Jesus  as  guest,  Mary  sitting  contentedly 
at  His  feet,  Lazarus  reclining  nearby,  and  Martha 
busily  plying  her  household  cares. 

In  the  second  place:  this  chapter  most  tenderly 
reveals  Jesus'  sympathy  with  sorrow  and  suffering. 
199 


200    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Here  is  that  shortest  verse  in  all  the  Bible — 
"  Jesus  wept."  And  the  Greek  word  translated 
wept  here  means  not  the  loud  outcry  but  quiet, 
suppressed  weeping,  quivering  lip,  and  tear-moist 
cheeks.  The  scene  was  full  of  pathos,  the  wail  of 
the  mourners,  the  grief  of  the  sisters,  the  heart- 
break of  it  all  moved  Jesus  strongly  and  He 
wept: 

"Jesus  wept!  those  tears  are  oVer, 
But  His  heart  is  still  the  same; 

Kinsman,  Friend  and  Elder  Brother, 
Is  His  everlasting  name. 
Lord,  when  I  am  called  to  die, 

Let  me  think  of  Bethany." 

In  the  third  place :  this  eleventh  chapter  of  John 
reveals  Jesus'  unbroken  consciousness  of  God. 
You  and  I  have  a  consciousness  of  God  but  it  is 
fragmentary,  broken,  and  incomplete.  We  are 
wonderfully  conscious  of  God  at  times,  then  again 
we  grope  in  utter  darkness.  How  different  it  was 
with  Jesus!  To  the  mourners  there  at  Bethany 
it  seemed  that  death  was  greater  than  God.  To 
Jesus,  God  was  greater  than  death  and  it  was 
impossible  for  Him  to  think  of  death  as  extinction 
or  separation  from  God.  Thus  it  was  He  was 
able  to  say  out  of  His  knowledge  of  God  these 
words  so  vibrant  with  hope :  "  I  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life :  he  that  believeth  on  me,  though 
he  die,  yet  shall  he  live;  and  whosoever  liveth  and 
believeth  on  me  shall  never  die." 

There  are  still  other  values  to  this  great  chapter. 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS  201 


but  I  omit  reference  to  them  now  in  order  to  con- 
sider a  sentence  that  fell  from  Jesus'  lips  at 
Lazarus'  graveside.  Before  He  called  upon  Laza- 
rus to  come  forth  He  prayed  audibly.  He  lifted 
up  His  eyes  and  said :  "  Father,  I  thank  Thee 
that  thou  heardest  me.  And  I  knew  that  thou 
hearest  me  always:  but  because  of  the  multitude 
that  standeth  around  I  said  it,  that  they  may  be- 
lieve that  thou  didst  send  me." 

"  Because  of  the  multitude."  For  a  large  part 
of  Jesus'  public  career  the  populace  thronged  about 
Him  wherever  He  went.  The  Gospel  of  Mark, 
for  instance,  has  been  aptly  called  "  The  Gospel 
of  the  Multitude."  To  read  this  book,  the  briefest 
and  boldest  of  the  four  in  picturesque  figure,  is  to 
look  out  over  vast  crowds  of  men  and  women  and 
to  hear  the  tramp,  tramp,  of  thousands  of  feet  and 
the  confused  murmur  of  myriad  voices.  In  the 
four  Gospels  the  word  multitude  occurs  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  times.  A  great  crowd 
affects  people  differently — some  are  wearied  and 
harassed  by  the  sight  of  a  multitude — some  amused 
and  entertained — some  moved  by  the  sight  to  ex- 
pressions of  contempt — others  view  a  crowd  with 
cold,  commercial  eyes — while  still  others  find 
something  mesmeric  in  a  multitude  and  are  quite 
carried  off  their  feet  both  literally  and  figuratively. 

How  did  the  multitude  affect  Jesus?  For  one 
thing,  Jesus  had  compassion  on  the  multitude  and 
that  word  compassion  is  a  great  and  good  word. 


202    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


It  means  sympathy  or  pity  or  sorrow  for.  Jesus 
looked  upon  the  multitude  with  compassion  and 
two  reasons  are  recorded  why  He  so  looked  upon 
the  throngs  that  followed  Him.  In  Matthew  9 :  36 
it  is  written  that  "  When  he  saw  the  multitudes 
He  was  moved  with  compassion  for  them,  because 
they  were  distressed  and  scattered,  as  sheep  not 
having  a  shepherd."  The  figure  is  eloquent.  A 
flock  of  sheep  in  Palestine  without  a  shepherd  is  a 
pathetic  sight,  for  a  shepherdless  flock  there  means, 
sooner  or  later,  a  calamity.  The  Eastern  shep- 
herd lives  with  his  sheep — "  he  goeth  before  them 
and  they  follow  him;  for  they  know  his  voice." 
Hence,  to  Jesus  the  multitudes  were  as  wandering, 
shepherdless  sheep  without  protection,  distressed 
and  in  imminent  peril.  Jesus  knew  what  was  in 
man,  He  saw  as  no  other  the  possibilities  in 
men  for  both  good  and  evil,  and  His  great  shep- 
herd heart  went  out  in  deep  solicitude  for  the 
masses.  And  thus  feeling  for  them  and  with  them 
Jesus  was  moved  to  say  "  The  harvest  is  indeed 
plenteous  but  the  labourers  are  few.  Pray  ye, 
therefore,  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  that  he  send 
forth  labourers  into  his  harvest." 

In  Matthew  15:32  it  is  again  recorded  that 
Jesus  had  compassion  on  the  multitude  and  this 
time  because  they  were  hungry  and  he  feared  if 
they  were  sent  away  without  food  they  would  faint 
by  the  way.  The  disciples,  however,  thought  best 
to  send  the  crowd  away  unfed  because  seven  loaves 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS  203 


and  a  few  small  fishes  were  all  that  could  be  found 
and  to  supply  so  many  with  so  little  seemed  to 
them  an  utter  impossibihty.  But  Jesus  commanded 
the  multitude  to  sit  down  on  the  ground  and  He 
took  the  seven  loaves  and  the  fishes  and  having 
thanked  God  for  them,  He  gave  to  the  disciples, 
and  the  disciples  gave  to  the  multitude.  "  And 
they  all  ate,  and  were  filled:  and  they  took  up 
that  which  remained  over  of  the  broken  pieces, 
seven  baskets  full." 

You  will  observe  that  Jesus'  compassion  for  the 
multitude  found  expression  in  ministering  to  them. 
In  the  first  instance  He  advised  that  His  disciples 
pray  that  labourers  be  sent  forth  into  the  field  of 
humanity,  and  straightway  He  sent  the  Twelve 
out  with  authority  to  cast  out  demons,  and  "  to 
heal  all  manners  of  disease  and  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness." In  the  second,  He  supplied  the  hungry 
horde  with  abundance  of  wholesome  food.  Dr. 
J.  H.  Jowett  finely  says :  "  From  this  Scripture, 
Matthew  15  :  32,  I  learn  three  things;  first:  I  learn 
what  my  Saviour  thought  about  a  crowd ;  secondly, 
I  learn  what  my  Saviour  felt  about  a  crowd;  and 
because  I  learned  these  two  things  I  learn  how 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  have  to  think  and  feel  about 
a  crowd." 

"  Because  of  the  multitude."  Followers  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  have  caught  His  vision  and  are 
filled  with  His  spirit,  will  not  be  content  merely  to 
sympathize  with  the  masses  but  will  set  about  to 


204    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


help  them  in  their  losing  battles  against  poverty, 
vice,  and  ignorance.  Numerous  churches  that 
wear  Christ's  name  do  not  have  compassion  for 
the  multitude,  they  scarcely  know  that  the  multi- 
tude exists,  they  only  know  their  own  little  circle 
and  that  none  too  well.  Thousands  of  professed 
followers  of  Christ  are  as  indifferent  to  the  needs 
of  the  masses  as  the  company  who  crucified  Christ 
were  to  His  suffering  when  "  sitting  down  they 
watched  him  there."  Jesus'  programme  for  the 
multitude  is  most  inspiring.  Jesus  taught  the  mul- 
titude, healed  the  multitude,  fed  the  multitude. 
For  the  four-fold  record  of  this  ministry  of  the 
Master  to  the  masses  read  Matthew  14:  13-23, 
Mark  6:  30-46;  Luke  9:  10-17,  an<^  John  6:  1-15. 

And  now  in  Bethany  by  the  grave  of  Lazarus 
Jesus  renders  another  service  to  the  multitude. 
He  prays  aloud,  attributing  all  the  power  and 
glory  to  God  for  the  great  event  which  was  to 
take  place.  Moreover,  He  offered  that  prayer 
audibly  that  the  multitude  standing  around  might 
know  and  recognize  whence  came  His  power  and 
authority.  This  simple  and  reverent  act  of  Jesus 
at  Lazarus'  graveside  was  characteristic  of  His 
entire  life.  He  claimed  nothing  for  Himself  apart 
from  the  Father;  He  said :  "  The  Father  is  greater 
than  L"  It  was  not  necessary  for  Him  to  pray  pub- 
licly at  Lazarus'  grave,  He  did  it  for  the  sake  of 
the  surrounding  multitude. 

There  is,  in  this  simple  act  of  Jesus,  a  philosophy 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS  205 


which  is  found  in  all  social  expressions  of  religion; 
the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper 
are  as  much  for  the  sake  of  others  as  for  the 
individual  who  receives  and  enjoys  them.  The 
very  idea  of  the  church — "  the  called  together  " — 
is  a  standing  witness  to  the  social  nature  of  the 
Gospel.  Secret  discipleship  makes  no  converts. 
Better  half  a  dozen  Barnabases  than  a  score  of 
Josephs  of  Arimathea.  Jesus  wished  the  multi- 
tude to  recognize  God  as  the  source  of  every 
blessing,  and  hence  He  prayed  audibly  in  their 
presence,  giving  all  the  glory  and  honour  to  God. 
What  rich  fruitage  would  result  if  we  were  as 
anxious  to  give  God  the  glory  for  our  achieve- 
ments as  we  are  to  obtain  the  credit  for  ourselves. 
It  is  a  subtle  temptation  to  believe  and  want  others 
to  believe  that  our  intellects,  genius,  industry,  and 
business  acumen,  have  won  for  us  the  prizes  of 
life.  We  do  well  to  remember  that  pregnant  clause 
in  the  first  sentence  of  Holy  Writ :  "In  the  be- 
ginning God,"  and  so  accord  Him  the  glory  and 
honour. 

"  Back  of  the  loaf  is  the  snowy  flour, 
And  back  of  the  flour  is  the  mill; 
And  back  of  the  mill  is  the  wheat  and  the  shower. 
And  the  sun  and  the  Father's  will." 

Some  years  ago,  in  a  southern  city  an  extraor- 
dinary amusing  incident  is  said  to  have  happened 
at  a  college  commencement.  The  valedictory 
address  was  delivered  by  a  young  man  who  pos- 


206    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


sessed  a  large  bump  of  originality,  or  arrogance, 
or  both.  In  his  speech  he  said  that  it  was  the 
custom  for  the  valedictorian  to  say  a  lot  of  gush- 
ing words  complimentary  to  the  faculty,  but  that 
he  saw  no  need  of  doing  so,  that  he  was  rather 
glad  to  get  away  from  his  teachers  and  likely  they 
were  glad  to  see  him  go.  He  saw  no  reasons  for 
thanking  them  at  all  since  they  were  paid  for  doing 
what  they  did.  If  he  had  not  applied  himself 
their  instructions  would  have  been  in  vain.  Hence, 
if  anybody  should  be  praised  and  complimented 
it  ought  to  be  the  graduates,  not  the  faculty.  As 
I  recall  the  story,  this  valedictorian  closed  his 
truly  remarkable  speech  by  modestly  thanking 
himself  for  his  diploma,  and  thanking  the  Lord 
that  he  was  about  to  say  Good-bye  to  the  college 
forever. 

This  incident  is  comical,  even  ludicrous.  We 
wonder  how  the  faculty  received  that  speech,  if 
the  audience  applauded,  if  any  flowers  were  given 
the  speaker.  But  it  is  also  very  crude,  discourte- 
ous to  the  core,  and  at  its  best  a  statement  of  only 
a  half  truth.  Who  of  us  can  truthfully  say  that 
he  is  self-made?  After  we  have  done  our  best 
could  we  have  done  it  if  others  had  not  also  made 
their  contribution  ?  Deep  in  debt  we  are  to  some- 
body, be  it  wife  or  husband,  parent  or  child, 
friend  or  neighbour, — above  all  to  God. 

What  of  the  multitudes  today?  What  of  their 
plight,  perils,  and  woes?    What  of  our  attitude 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS  207 


toward  the  masses?  Whether  or  not  we  have  a 
message  for  the  multitude,  the  multitude  has  a 
message  and  a  voice  for  us,  a  message  of  oppor- 
tunity, a  voice  of  invitation.  If  any  one  who 
knows  the  grim  facts  of  the  life  of  the  masses 
today  can  look  upon  the  vast  crowd  "  hearing 
oftentimes  the  still,  sad  music  of  humanity  "  with- 
out a  clutch  at  his  heart  and  a  lump  in  the  throat, 
he  is  not  of  the  mind  of  Jesus. 

Because  of  the  multitudes  General  William 
Booth  dedicated  his  life  to  the  city's  poor  and  out- 
cast and  from  his  labours  came  the  Salvation 
Army,  When  the  General  was  in  America  he 
told  how  it  all  came  about :  "  I  hungered  for  hell," 
he  said,  "  I  pushed  into  the  midst  of  it — the  West 
side  of  London.  For  days  I  stood  in  the  seething 
streets  drinking  it  in  and  loving  it  all.  Yes,  I 
loved  the  souls  that  made  up  the  muddy  streams. 
I  went  home  one  night  to  my  wife  and  babies  and 
said  to  her:  'Darling,  I  have  given  myself  and 
I  have  given  you  and  our  children  to  the  service 
of  these  souls.'  " 

Vachel  Lindsay  in  his  "General  Booth  Enters 
Into  Heaven,"  with  fine  poetic  fervour,  portrays 
the  blind  commander  marching  into  the  City  that 
"  lieth  foursquare  "  at  the  head  of  a  great  multi- 
tude redeemed  from  vice  and  woe: 
"  Booth  led  boldly  with  his  big  bass  drum — 

(Are  you  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb?) 

The  saint  smiled  gravely  and  they  said :  '  He's  come.' 

(Are  you  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb?) 


208    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


Walking  lepers  followed,  rank  on  rank, 
Lurching  bravoes  from  the  ditches  dank. 
Drabs  from  the  alleyways  and  drug  fiends  pale — 
Minds  still  passion-ridden,  soul-powers  frail: — 
Vermin-eaten  saints  with  mouldy  breath. 
Unwashed  legions  with  the  ways  of  Death — 
(Are  you  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb?) 

"  Every  slum  had  sent  its  half-a-score 
The  round  world  over.    (Booth  had  groaned  for  more.) 
Every  banner  that  the  wide  world  flies 
Bloomed  with  glory  and  transcendent  dyes. 

Jesus  came  from  out  the  court-house  door. 
Stretched  his  hands  above  the  passing  poor, 
Booth  saw  not,  but  led  his  queer  ones  there 
Round  and  round  the  mighty  court-house  square. 
Yet  in  an  instant  all  that  blear  review 
Marched  on  spotless,  clad  in  raiment  new. 
The  lame  were  straightened,  withered  limbs  uncurled. 
And  blind  eyes  opened  on  a  new,  sweet  world." 

In  our  city  recently  there  occurred  the  annual 
field  day  for  the  children  of  the  public  schools, 
and  a  right  gala  day  it  was.  In  company  with  five 
thousand  fellow  citizens  I  beheld  that  spectacle 
and  was  deeply  moved  by  what  I  saw.  The  chil- 
dren were  dressed  in  white,  the  girls  jauntily 
beribboned  for  the  most  part,  and  all  carried  flags. 
There  were  drills  and  marches  and  counter- 
marches, there  was  band  music,  and  there  were 
songs  sung  by  those  clear,  young  voices.  It  was 
a  beautiful  scene.  The  gay  crowds  in  the  grand- 
stand, brilliant  in  multi-coloured  dresses,  the  wav- 
ing of  red,  white,  and  blue  streamers  and  pennants, 


CHRIST  AND  THE  CROWDS  209 


the  laughter,  the  applause,  the  glory,  the  poetry  of 
it  all,  made  it  impressive  beyond  description.  But 
best  of  all  was  the  singing  of  the  state  song  by 
that  chorus  of  a  thousand  school  children: 

"  Not  without  thy  wondrous  story, 

Illinois,  Illinois, 
Could  be  writ  the  nation's  glory, 

Illinois,  Illinois. 
On  the  record  of  the  years 
Abraham  Lincoln's  name  appears, 
Grant  and  Logan,  and  our  tears, 

Illinois,  Illinois." 

And  what  of  that  multitude — our  children  and 
our  neighbour's  children — what  of  that  gay  and 
happy  throng?  What  shall  come  out  of  that  mul- 
titude in  the  days  that  are  yet  to  be?  Will  it  be 
virtue  or  vice,  peace  or  war,  God  or  Mammon, 
what  shall  the  harvest  be? 

We  cannot  say  precisely,  but  this  we  know:  if 
we  shall  do  for  this  multitude  in  our  midst  what 
Christ  did  for  those  who  thronged  Him,  if  we 
shall  feel  for  them  and  with  them,  if  we  shall 
teach  them  and  be  willing  to  learn  from  them, 
heal  them  and  feed  them,  it  may  be  that  some  day 
the  meaning  of  a  certain  great  passage  of  the 
Revelation  of  John  will  flash  out  upon  us:  "  After 
these  things  I  saw,  and  behold  a  great  multitude, 
which  no  man  could  number,  out  of  every  nation 
and  of  all  tribes  and  peoples  and  tongues,  standing 
before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  arrayed 


210    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


in  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands;  and  they 
cry  with  a  great  voice,  saying,  Salvation  unto  our 
God  who  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb." 

O  CHRIST  OF  THE  CROWDS,  THOU  FRIEND  OF 
SINNERS  WHOM  THE  COMMON  PEOPLE  HEARD 
GLADLY,  THOU  SHAMEST  OUR  INDIFFERENCE  TO 
THE  FATE  OF  THE  MASSES.  MAY  WE  FOLLOW  THEE 
FROM  THE  CHURCHLY  EDIFICE  AND  FROM  OUR 
COMFORTABLE  HOMES  INTO  THE  STREETS  AND 
ALLEYS  OF  THE  GREAT  CITIES  AND  MINGLE  FREELY 
WITH  THE  MULTITUDE  TO  WOO  AND  WIN  THEM 
FOR  THEE. 


XV 

GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY 


"  The  tumult  and  the  shouting  dies, — 
The  Captains  and  the  Kings  depart, — 
Still  stands  thine  ancient  sacrifice, 
An  humble  and  a  contrite  heart; 
Lord  God  of  Hosts,  be  with  us  yet. 
Lest  we  forget, — lest  we  forget." 

RuDVARD  Kipling. 


XV 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY 

"And  she  named  the  child  Ichabod,  saying,  The 
glory  is  departed  from  Israel." — /  Samuel  4:21. 

IT  was  a  tragic  day  for  the  Hebrew  nation. 
The  battle  had  gone  sore  against  the  Israel- 
ites, and  the  Philistines  were  in  possession 
of  the  ark  of  God.  Eli,  the  aged  prophet  and 
judge,  sat  beside  the  gate  of  Shiloh  anxiously 
awaiting  a  messenger  from  the  battle  field.  And 
soon  one  came  bearing  the  dreadful  news  that 
the  army  of  Israel  was  defeated,  that  Eli's  two 
sons,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  were  dead,  and  that 
the  ark  of  God  was  taken  by  the  enemy.  The 
tidings  were  so  terrible  that  the  old  man  fell  from 
his  seat,  breaking  his  neck,  thus  adding  another 
tragedy  to  the  sorrows  of  that  day.  Nor  was  that 
all.  Eli's  daughter'in-law,  the  wife  of  Phinehas, 
was  so  prostrated  by  the  death  of  her  husband 
and  the  capture  of  the  ark  of  God  that  she  gave 
birth  prematurely  to  a  son  whom  she  named,  with 
dying  breath,  Ichabod,  saying,  "  The  glory  is  de- 
parted from  Israel,  because  the  ark  of  God  was 
taken  and  because  of  her  father-in-law  and  her 
husband." 

This  is  the  Old  Testament  story  that  has  made 
213 


214    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  name  Ichabod  synonymous  with  defeat,  with 
loss  of  prestige  and  honour.  Ichabod — Good-bye 
to  glory,  what  a  melancholy  epitaph  and  how  fit- 
tingly though  pathetically  it  has  been  written  over 
nations,  institutions,  and  individuals! 

The  visitor  to  the  Old  World  is  seldom  permitted 
to  forget  that  he  is  in  the  midst  of  monuments  and 
memorials  reflecting  a  glory  that  is  past  and  gone. 
Ichabod  is  written  over  many  a  stately  ruin  and 
broken  column.  Nowhere  does  one  feel  this  so 
profoundly  as  among  the  relics  of  ancient  Rome 
once  called  "  The  Mistress  of  the  World,"  and 
"  The  Eternal  City."  Standing  ankle  deep  in  the 
dust  of  history,  one  looks  upon  the  tomb  of  genius 
and  mighty  minds,  inspects  statue  and  tablet,  views 
long  stretches  of  scenery  famous  only  because 
once  the  theatre  of  some  historic  event  or  home  of 
a  famous  character.  Gibbon  consumes  many  thou- 
sand pages  to  trace  the  story  of  the  Roman  Em- 
pire's fall,  but  there  is  a  huge  canvas  in  the 
gallery  at  Versailles  that  tells  it  truthfully  in  a 
single  picture.  It  is  entitled :  "  The  Last  Days  of 
Rome,"  and  portrays  a  banquet  scene  of  revelry 
and  debauchery.  Roman  senators  and  chieftains, 
instead  of  being  busy  with  the  affairs  of  the  state, 
are  holding  half  nude  women  in  their  arms,  while 
others  are  drinking  deeply  from  jewelled  cups. 
Still  others  are  beastly  drunken,  some  of  them 
lying  stretched  out  upon  the  floor  or  under  the 
banquet  table.    It  is  a  picture  of  moral  depravity 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY  215 


such  as  one  cannot  soon  forget.  It  is  ever  so! 
When  a  nation  loses  the  sense  of  sin  it  begins  to 
decay  at  the  very  heart.  Jeremiah,  in  chapter 
eight,  the  twelfth  verse,  charges  the  cause  of 
Israel's  downfall  to  sodden  immorality.  "  Were 
they  ashamed  when  they  had  committed  abomi- 
nation? Nay,  they  were  not  at  all  ashamed^ 
neither  could  they  blush."  When  Israel  forgot 
how  to  blush  her  national  doom  was  sealed. 

A  nation  may  lose  her  glory,  however,  without  a 
departure  into  the  grosser  sins  and  vices.  Com- 
mercialism, for  instance,  may  so  enter  into  the 
very  heart  of  a  people's  life  that  lust  for  gain 
corrodes  the  nobler  and  finer  ideals.  A  close 
observer  has  remarked  that  the  attitude  of  America 
toward  the  present  European  War  is  palpably 
coloured  by  the  commercial  spirit.  Said  he: 
"  There  is  a  very  great  danger  that  when  the  his- 
tory of  this  world  conflict  be  written  that 
America's  part  will  be  that  of  a  supposedly  neutral 
onlooker  shrewdly  speculating  the  while  how  many 
millions  of  dollars  may  accrue  to  the  United  States 
because  of  Europe's  misfortune."  This  criticism 
is  strongly  phrased  and  is,  perhaps,  not  exactly 
just,  but  there  is  enough  truth  in  it  to  give  a  sober 
pause  to  every  citizen  of  the  United  States  who 
holds  dear  to  his  heart  the  traditions  that  glorify 
our  country's  history  as  a  whole. 

The  true  grandeur  and  glory  of  a  nation  has 
often  been  dimmed  and  alas,  blotted  out  by  mili- 


216    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


tary  ideals.  Our  own  country  faces  a  grave  issue 
in  the  policy  of  "  preparedness,"  advocated  by 
many  of  our  political  leaders.  Quite  apart  from 
any  partisan  or  political  phase  of  the  issue,  the 
average  citizen  is  sorely  perplexed  by  the  gravity 
of  the  preparedness  doctrine.  If  once  our  nation 
adopts  the  militarist  policy  no  one  knows  where 
it  will  end,  but  judging  by  the  history  of  nations 
that  have  adopted  it  the  fruits  of  such  a  policy  is 
war — not  peace.  It  has  been  our  glory  in  the  past 
that  our  dependence  was  not  in  forts,  in  battle- 
ships, or  in  soldiery,  but  in  spirit  of  democracy, 
justice,  and  liberty.  The  ideals  of  our  fathers  in 
this  high  regard  may  "  go  a-glimmering  "  before 
the  new  policy  of  a  great  army  and  a  mighty  navy 
for  American  defense. 

"  For  heathen  heart  that  puts  her  trust 

In  reeking  tube  and  iron  shard — 
All  valiant  dust  that  builds  on  dust, 

And  guarding,  calls  not  Thee  to  guard; 
For  frantic  boast  and  foolish  word. 

Thy  mercy  on  Thy  people,  Lord !  " 

The  hope  of  a  people  lies  largely  in  the  crystalli- 
zation of  sentiment  against  public  and  private 
sin,  against  corporate  delinquencies.  Agitators 
and  reformers,  even  of  the  most  radical  type,  are 
necessary.  They  are  the  John  the  Baptists,  the 
Voices  in  the  Wilderness,  calling  on  the  people  to 
repent.  Without  such  voices  we  should  soon  be 
undone  and  Ichabod  written  largely  over  every 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY 


217 


institution.  Splendid,  indeed,  are  the  words  of 
Wendell  Phillips,  spoken  in  behalf  of  the  reformer 
and  agitator:  "If  the  Alps,  piled  in  cold  and 
silence,  be  the  emblem  of  despotism,  we  joyfully 
take  the  restless  ocean  for  ours,  only  pure  because 
never  still." 

Glory  has  departed,  too,  from  many  a  church 
once  useful,  once  the  centre  of  peace  and  power. 
Churches  exist  as  a  means  to  an  end  and  when- 
ever they  become  self-centered  Ichabod  is  written 
over  their  thresholds.  A  church  is  a  body  of  Be- 
lievers in  Christ  banded  together  for  growth  in 
Christlikeness,  for  the  carrying  of  the  Gospel  to 
all  nations,  and  for  the  conservation  of  human 
life  from  birth  to  everlastingness.  Every  church 
is  a  missionary  organization,  is  such  by  its  charter 
in  Christ.  Whenever  it  becomes  exclusive,  caters 
to  any  particular  class,  coddles  grown-up  folks, 
neglects  its  children,  dwindles  into  sort  of  a  social 
club,  or  becomes  institutionalized,  it  loses  place  and 
power.  There  comes  to  my  mind  a  great  city 
church  upon  which  Ichabod  is  written  in  letters 
so  large  that  every  passerby  may  read.  Fifty 
years  ago  this  church  was  in  the  height  of  its 
glory.  Splendid  audiences  filled  its  immense  au- 
ditorium. There  were  constant  conversions.  That 
church  ministered  to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  flour- 
ished the  while  like  a  green  bay  tree.  By-and- 
bye,  the  membership  shifted,  many  going  out  to 
the  suburbs  and  back  on  the  hills.    In  the  course 


218    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


of  a  few  years  that  church  became  what  is  known 
as  a  downtown  problem.  The  prosperous  members 
left  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  apartment  and 
boarding  houses  crowded  closer  and  closer.  In- 
stead of  trying  to  serve  the  new  constituency  by 
providing  for  the  young  men  and  women  who 
filled  the  nearby  boarding  houses,  and  caring 
for  the  swarms  of  little  children  that  played  on 
the  nearby  streets,  that  church  went  on  in  the 
same  old  way,  catering  to  the  membership  that 
lived  out  on  the  hills,  and  boasting  of  what  it  used 
to  do  in  the  good  old  days.  That  church  today 
presents  a  tragic  picture  of  departed  glory.  It 
stands  like  a  spectre  and  a  ghost  of  its  great  past, 
a  monument  of  failure  and  disgrace. 

Ichabod — Good-bye  to  Glory — has  been  written 
pathetically  over  unnumbered  homes  once  rain- 
bowed  by  the  glory  of  deep  religious  life.  Homes 
where  God  was  honoured,  where  the  Scriptures 
were  loved  and  read,  are  in  many  instances  the 
homes  today  of  a  generation  candidly  indififerent 
to  the  claims  of  the  church  and  the  life  of  the 
Spirit.  Like  nations,  families  rise  and  fall.  The 
expression :  "  Degenerate  sons  of  illustrious 
sires,"  is  alas,  both  eloquent  and  melancholy.  It 
is  quite  generally  believed  today  that  the  home  and 
family  life  is  disintegrating.  Statistics  available 
are  far  from  heartening.  Divorces  are  on  the  in- 
crease and  marriages  are  on  the  decrease.  The 
Chicago  Vice  Commission,  after  an  exhausting 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY  219 


survey  of  the  causes  of  the  disintegration  of  family 
life,  gives  as  the  first  contributing  cause  the  lack 
of  religious  instruction  in  the  home.  In  tens  of 
thousands  of  homes  where  the  parents  are  nominal 
Christians  there  is  no  recognition  of  God,  not  even 
grace  at  the  table.  Parental  discipline  has  declined, 
parental  respect  is  lacking  on  the  part  of  multi- 
tudes of  growing  boys  and  girls.  The  glory  of 
the  family  life  where  affection  rules  has  in  numer- 
ous cases  disappeared.  With  many  families  home 
is  simply  a  place  to  eat  and  sleep.  The  members 
of  the  family  circle  go  elsewhere  for  amusement, 
elsewhere  for  social  life,  nowhere  for  spiritual 
food,  and  the  glory  of  the  sweet  intimacies  has 
departed  from  such  unfortunate  homes. 

The  glory  of  the  spiritual  life  has  departed  from 
many  who  still  hold  to  the  forms  and  externals 
of  Christianity.  There  are  nominal  Christian 
homes  today  where  the  mere  announcement  that 
a  son  or  daughter  had  decided  for  the  ministry 
or  the  missionary  career  would  involve  the  house- 
hold in  a  paroxysm  of  grief  and  bitter  disappoint- 
ment. Fifty  years  ago  the  same  announcement 
in  a  Christian  home  would  have  been  the  occasion 
of  tears  of  joy  and  of  thanksgiving  to  God  for 
the  unspeakable  blessing. 

That  Ichabod  is  frequently  written  on  the  in- 
dividual character  is  a  melancholy  fact.  That 
men  and  women  say  "  Good-bye  to  Glory,"  that 
they  turn  away  and  aside  from  the  glory  of  high 


220    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


ideals  and  simple  faith  and  give  themselves  over 
to  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  is  alas,  only 
too  true.  Mr.  Ingersoll,  in  his  oration  at  his 
brother's  grave,  said  that  "  A  wreck  at  last  must 
mark  the  end  of  each  and  all,"  and  that  "  Every 
life,  no  matter  if  its  every  hour  is  rich  in  love  and 
every  moment  jewelled  with  a  joy,  will  at  its  close 
become  a  tragedy  as  sad  and  deep  and  dark  as 
can  be  woven  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  mystery 
and  death."  This  is  superb  rhetoric  but  it  is  falla- 
cious reasoning.  There  are  far  worse  tragedies 
than  death.  The  loss  of  a  good  name  is  worse. 
The  wreck  of  character  is  infinitely  sadder. 

Never  shall  I  forget  a  poor,  beaten,  and  battered 
hulk  of  humanity  whose  acquaintance  I  made  early 
in  my  ministry  with  a  city  church.  He  limped 
into  the  building  during  a  Sunday  morning  service, 
as  curious,  as  comical,  and  as  pathetic  a  figure  as 
I  ever  saw.  He  followed  the  sermon  with  avid 
interest  and  entered  into  the  singing  of  the  more 
familiar  hymns  with  apparent  relish.  He  waited 
to  see  me  after  the  service  and  informed  me  that 
he  was  an  old  sailor,  a  sinner  of  deepest  dye,  an 
inmate  of  the  county  Infirmary.  He  had  a  peg  leg 
and  walked  with  a  crutch;  his  right  arm  was 
maimed  and  hung  stiff  at  his  side;  he  was  blind 
in  one  eye  and  a  long  scar  disfigured  the  right 
side  of  his  face.  The  lobe  of  one  ear  was  punc- 
tured and  his  nose  was  misshapen  and  looked  as 
though  it  had  been  broken.    He  laid  a  tremulous 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY 


221 


hand  on  my  shoulder  and  looked  me  straight  in 
the  eyes  as  he  inquired :  "  Do  you  think  the  Lord 
would  receive  me,  poor,  broken,  and  sinful  as  I 
am  ?  "  "  If  you  come  to  Him  penitent  and  believ- 
ing, most  assuredly  He  will  receive  you,"  I 
answered.  "  Then  I  am  coming  forward  next 
Sunday  morning,"  he  replied,  and  pressing  my 
hand  he  hobbled  away,  as  tragic  a  wreck  of  hu- 
manity as  ever  I  laid  eyes  upon. 

He  came  forward  the  next  Sunday  morning 
and  in  the  presence  of  a  congregation  made  up  of 
men  and  women  all  bearing  the  marks  of  clean 
thinking  and  decent  living,  he  witnessed  the  "  good 
confession."  One  afternoon  of  that  same  week 
he  was  baptized  and  it  took  four  of  our  strong 
men  to  assist  with  his  immersion,  so  helpless  and 
crippled  was  he.  After  his  baptism  he  sat  with 
me  in  the  Sunday  Schoolroom,  his  bruised  and 
battered  face  aglow  with  such  a  light  as  never 
was  on  sea  or  land.  He  told  me  the  tale  of  his  life 
— how  I  wish  I  had  taken  notes  then  and  there 
of  his  life  among  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men 
the  world  around.  If  Jack  London  or  Morgan 
Robertson  had  heard  that  story  either  could  have 
woven  from,  the  bare  outline  of  the  old  man's  tale 
a  story  of  the  sea,  thrilling  with  adventurous  epi- 
sode. The  old  man  (he  was  seventy-four)  had 
been  a  sailor  for  the  most  of  his  life;  a  sailor  of 
misfortune,  one  would  say.  He  had  actually  been 
a  pirate  and  the  hole  in  the  lobe  of  his  ear  was 


222    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  work  of  a  bullet  fired  by  a  sailor  on  a  vessel 
which  he  and  his  fellow-pirates  were  plundering. 
He  had  been  in  numerous  hand-to-hand  fights  and 
the  scar  on  his  face  had  been  made  by  a  cutlass. 
He  had  been  wicked  and  wild  all  the  days  of  his 
life,  and  now  he  was  homeless,  penniless,  and  all 
but  invalid.  "  And  to  think,"  he  said,  "  that  God 
will  take  an  old  battered  hulk  like  me  and  fill  my 
flabby  sails  with  the  wind  of  His  holy  spirit.  O, 
if  I  had  but  given  myself  to  Him  when  I  had 
health  and  vigour.  I  have  nothing  to  offer  Him 
now  but  this  poor  old  wreck  of  myself."  And 
the  old  man  sobbed  like  a  little  child. 

Every  Sunday  morning  for  full  six  weeks  he 
worshipped  with  us,  entering  into  the  service  with 
deepest  joy  and  a  wholeheartedness  that  was  good 
to  see.  Then  came  a  Sunday  morning  when  I 
missed  him  and  on  calling  at  the  Infirmary  I  found 
him  in  the  hospital  a  very  sick  old  man.  He  was 
overjoyed  to  see  me.  I  read  to  him  the  fourteenth 
chapter  of  John  and  other  comforting  Scriptures 
and  we  had  prayer  together.  I  left  him  full  of 
hope  and  the  marred  face  aglow  with  a  peace  that 
was  not  of  this  earth.  Busy  with  many  pastoral 
duties,  I  fogot  the  old  man  for  a  week  or  ten 
days,  and  on  recalling  him  I  hurried  at  once  to 
the  Infirmary  hospital.  He  was  not  in  the  ward. 
I  made  inquiries.  Alas,  he  had  died  a  week  before 
and  since  no  one  had  seen  fit  to  call  his  pastor, 
or  perhaps  no  one  knew  of  the  old  man's  church 


GOOD-BYE  TO  GLORY 


223 


connection,  they  buried  him  in  potter's  field  with- 
out a  single  song  of  Zion,  a  word  of  Scripture,  or 
prayer  of  faith. 

Poor  old  battered  hulk !  I  see  him  sometimes  in 
my  day  dreams,  hobbling  out  of  the  past,  a  great 
gaunt  figure,  terribly  maimed,  fearfully  broken; 
and  I  seem  to  hear  his  deep  voice  wail  out  the 
words  of  mingled  regret  and  marvel :  "  O,  if  I 
had  but  given  myself  to  the  Lord  when  I  was 
young  and  vigorous  instead  of  now  when  I  am 
old,  helpless,  and  poor.  And  yet,  how  wonderful 
the  mercy  of  God  to  receive  an  old  battered  hulk 
like  me  and  fill  my  flabby  sails  with  the  strong 
wind  of  His  holy  spirit." 

Glory  has  departed  from  lives  in  which  the 
grosser  sins  find  no  hospitable  welcome.  Glory 
has  gone  from  men  and  women  whose  lives  are 
correct  in  observance  of  form  and  customs,  and 
of  whom  perhaps  not  the  slightest  infraction  of  a 
conventional  moral  standard  might  be  charged. 
These  are  the  men  and  women  who  have  become 
worldly  in  their  outlook,  who  are  indifferent  to 
things  spiritual,  who  have  no  prayer  life,  and  to 
whom  the  higher  things  of  the  soul  are  as  so  many 
"  old  wives'  tales."  They  have  said  "  Good-bye 
to  Glory,"*  unconsciously,  perhaps,  but  nevertheless 
glory  has  departed  from  them,  leaving  their  lives 
barren  and  bleak. 

If  glory  is  to  abide  with  state,  home,  church,  and 
individual,  our  work  will  have  to  centre  about 


224    THE  WISDOM  OF  GOD'S  FOOLS 


the  child.  The  early  chapters  of  I  Samuel,  from 
which  this  text  is  taken,  will  show  that  Eli's 
sons,  Hophni  and  Phinehas,  were  tragic  failures, 
due  to  some  neglect  on  Eli's  part;  while  on  the 
other  hand,  the  overtowering  character  of  that 
same  period,  the  prophet  Samuel,  was  so  nurtured 
and  trained  by  his  devout  mother  and  by  the  in- 
fluences of  religion  that  he  grew  up  into  a  man- 
hood that  was  invulnerable  to  all  the  attacks  of 
evil.  "  The  child  comes  into  the  world,"  as 
Wordsworth  says,  "  trailing  clouds  of  glory."  It 
becomes  our  bounden  duty  and  our  great  privilege 
to  give  our  best  to  preserve  that  glory  in  all  its 
pristine  splendour.  Just  here  has  been  our  great 
weakness — we  have  not  dealt  honestly  with  the 
child  in  our  midst.  We  shall  have  to  come  back 
to  the  child,  we  shall  have  to  put  the  child  in  the 
midst  if  glory  abide.  "  We  need  not  predict  the 
future.  We  can  determine  it  if  we  educate  the 
whole  of  every  child  for  the  whole  of  life." 

FATHER  IN  HEAVEN,  WE  HAVE  CONFUSED  GLORY 
WITH  DIZZY  HEIGHTS  OF  PLACE  AND  POWER,  WITH 
WEALTH  AND  LUXURY.  OUR  EYES  HAVE  BEEN  DAZ- 
ZLED BY  THE  FLEETING  AND  THE  TEMPORAL.  BUT 
WHEREAS  ONCE  WE  WERE  BLIND,  NOW  WE  SEE.  IN 
THE  LIGHT  OF  JESUS'  TEACHING  WE  BEHOLD  THE 
GLORY  OF  THE  CHILDLIKE  SPIRIT  AND  THE  PURE 
OF  HEART — THE  GLORY  THAT  FADETH  NEVER. 


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